Nihility
by Jade and Anii
Summary: A world of darkness...a murderous madman...a group of survivors....They're about to make their escape. As Riku journeys through this dark world, he finds more than he plans: Sora and Kairi.
1. Book I: My Nihility

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Nihility 

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Co-written by: Jade and Aniiston

Jade composes the even chapters.

Aniiston composes the odd chapters.

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Chapter I

My Nihility

Point of View: Riku

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Written by: Aniiston (1st chapter)

Keep on Moving…

Go…

Keep on running…

Run…

The clock doesn't stop for the discernible…

Nor does it stop for the noticeable…

Time is of the essence, and so is my life. 

Move…

Hurry.

That is my fate.

To always run.

The world is dark; and the world is wicked. Throughout the endless souls that inhabit this lifeless city; this lifeless hell, not one moves; all apathetic in the eyes of the poignant. Yet no people of the inspiration live here, for they died years ago. When the heartless first came to be; when they made their first kill. The lovely, intoxicating first death of a soul whom had yet to truly experience the darkness...

_The terminus of all extremity..._

Do you know who I am? No, I suppose you don't, for not many people do. It is best you never know, for it seems the light constantly abhors my flesh, and the darkness gnaws upon my body and expressions, concealing me from any pedestrians or simple by-passers. 

The darkness in the only light in this world, the world of Nihility. Lightness does not exist, nor does the golden angel known only as the sun. Its wings will never spread, never reach this pale, lifeless world, for it was trapped by the vines; by the chains of the dark long ago. The skies fill will clouds; dark, terrifying clouds. And when there are no clouds; there is simply night, for this world has _no light...no happiness._

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I come here often.

Ironic, yes, for I am not lifeless, yet I come here of my own will. My own _free _will. The darkness does not bother me, for I am nothing but dark with a heart of raven light. _Raven light..._ This city has supplies, and with supplies comes people; real or not. And so I come here when I am in most dire need of medical aid, though most of what they have here are weapons.

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Thousands of Weapons.

Though the people halt their voices, and some may say they are mute, their forte in all the land is the art of combat. Men and women alike fight for their meaningless lives; constantly _trying_ to slaughter the Heartless, and sometimes one another. These people have hearts, dark hopeless hearts, though in reality—and this _is_ the reality—all they are is food. Food for the black creatures known as the Heartless.

And that is where I come in, my friend. For food and medial aid, I kill Heartless; slaughter them; watch them die. It is truly the core of a terrible occupation, but in this world, the world of the nothing; the world of the dark, it is the only thing I have. The only thing that keeps me awake at night. Beside thoughts of _them._

I don't live in this city; I _can't_ live in this city. It slowly drains everything out of a person; consuming their thoughts and their hearts. And so I live in the small, deserted town that resides beside it, staying away from any person or thing that wonders through. Isolation has never bothered me; loneliness is something I'm known for.

My home is small and dark, residing at the top of a large building inhabited by almost no one, save a few invisible persons. I take no notice of them in anyway. It is as though we no longer seem to note one another in the least.

At the current moment, a shop has come into my view, the same shop I always attend. It was raven, with bars crossing over each and every window. If you don't have bar-less windows, you don't survive in this city. The lights that explain the purpose of this shop were flickering slightly, showing that electricity was scarce in this neon town. Ignoring it all, I walked inside, grabbing multiple items off shelves and boxes. The items were relatively normal: concealed water, beef jerky, dried vegetables; anything that wasn't moist, save the water. 

The man at the counter will never speak to me; he will only nod, understanding who I am and what I mean to this Hell...this city. Moving across the shop, items in hand, I quickly snatched up multiple potions and ethers, turning towards the counter clerk and nodding my head. At once he turned away, opening numerous shelves and cabinets, frantically searching for an item I needed. He faced me.

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An Elixir.

These are exceptionally rare in this city, despite the fact that all medical items are uncommon. This I pay for with the little money I have that I earn every so often. This place doesn't take 'Munny', but a type of currency known as 'Gil'. This money does not come in small gold and blue coins as Munny did, but it comes in 'bills' and 'gold and silver coins'. I prefer using this new money, rather than the past money. 

Taking the Elixir, I thanked the man with a nod of my head and soon found myself gone, storing the items inside my cloak, which concealed my black attire. It's often cold here, exceedingly to be exact. Though it never snows, but it rains; rains so much. Actually, I'm quite lucky that it isn't raining right now, for rain brings out the Heartless. And it _always_ rains.

The streets are bare, completely isolated in every direction, though I'd rather be alone than walk beside someone. It has been four years since I've spoken, and if it weren't for my frequent thoughts, I'm afraid I would have forgotten how. I came close once. A year after I arrived at the small town, I had gone into a depression; a depression of being alone. Despite my once serious attitude, I was still a social person and craved to be gregarious. Though I soon over came that.

Animals do live here; mostly street cats and wolfs that eat them. I have a cat that often keeps me company, but I hate cats. I hate animals. Though I do have to say, knowing something that can move and talk, or meow, is quite lifting to the heart and mind. Or what I have left of them, that is. 

This city is large with many streets and tall skyscrapers that soar high in the clouds. It's rather easy to get lost, though I never travel from my usual route for fear of that truly happening. I have no one to come rescue me if I become lost.

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But I don't need anyone.

After awhile of pure isolation, one starts to become dependent upon themselves, or independent. I need _no one_ except for myself. I have done fine on my own. I have a weapon; two weapons. The short sword. It comes in very handy when killing the Heartless. But then again, the Heartless are easily prey. At least to me they are. 

I don't use magic. I never found any use for it, and I never sought out training. My best friend knew magic as well as the art of the longsword, which is probably why I lost to him so many times. But I don't wish to speak of him at the moment. 

The Entrance Gates of this city have begun to show themselves. Though they serve as the exit as well, they always look the same. Same old, tall, raven rusty bars that far exceed my height by a mile. They open automatically, which is rather nice. Walking though them, I began my way home. The place I stay only has three rooms. A bathroom and main room, as well as a small bedroom. Despite the messy atmosphere of this world, my place is relatively clean. Well, I don't have much stuff to get it dirty with.

There isn't much color here...just shades and neon lights too bright for the eyes to truly consider bliss. But with color brings memory. So no color is fine with me.

After walking for a short while, I came to my home, unlocking the bared glass door with my keys and pushing it open, standing upon a yard long elevator and allowing it to rise me through the twelve story building. Seconds later, it came to a stop and I leapt off, walking causally to my room. Opening the door, I dropped my cloak and immediately removed my shirt, throwing it to the ground as well.

I was tired and needed sleep, for last night I had kept my eyes open until the peek hours of the morning, slaying Heartless and receiving the small amount of money for it, as well as free access to items. People are cold here, but they still need their defense. 

The cat that follows me is pure white, which slightly brings me nervousness. Nothing is pale here, save the skin of the inhabitants. But a pure white cat? It almost never happens. The cat jumped off the window ceiling and waltzed into my room as though it owned the place and curled up on my bed. I pushed it off.

"Get out of here, you stupid cat," I mumbled, using my voice for the first time in years. My throat was shaking, and voice gruff, but once I continued speaking, it cleared. And now I was uncommonly tired. Lying down upon my bed, the damn cat curling up beside me, I closed my eyes, ready for a long, dreamless sleep.

The cat gave a cry.

I glared. If that stupid cat was going to keep me up all night than I might as well kill it and eat it. But the cat seemed to smile at me, yawning and rolling over on its back, kicking its dirty paws into the air. Something so bright shouldn't exist here. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I grabbed one of my two short swords, bringing it closer to the clueless feline. I brought the blade down.

But stopped.

The cat was staring at me, wide eyed, and then it suddenly looked away, continuing to jump upon my bed, attacking the air as though it were a mouse. I glared again. Great. I can't kill a _cat_. I can kill four dozen Heartless a day but I can't kill a stupid, meaningless white cat. I turned away, throwing the sword into a wall, and lying back down, my eyes warning the cat to calm itself.

It obeyed.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled the single sheet of cover over my body. This blanket cost me more money than the Elixir did, for warmth is rather expensive in this world. I would've made one out of cat fur, but those damn things are hard to get a hold of. And wolfs. Sure, I could take a wolf, maybe even two, but I liked wolves. At least they were half intelligent creatures and knew when and when not to come into the city. They often hid in the shadows, as do I and wait. They never attack humans, for humans have almost no meat upon them.

It was true. No one is over-weight here or in the least bit plump. Food is scarce and must be eaten with caution. I, too, have lost wait since I first arrived here, losing more and more as the years go by. But to keep my weight up, I constantly work out, building muscle in replacement of fat. I am much stronger now than I was four years ago, which gives me a feel of security. 

No one dares to mess with me. I used to be serious, but now I am cold and merciless. And it does not bother me, for _everyone _is cold and everyone is merciless. And so I stared at the white cat once again before truly falling off into a deep sleep. And I couldn't help but think that the cat reminded me of someone. And it was not until I was fast asleep when I realized...

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It reminded me of Kairi.


	2. Suspicions

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Nihility

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Co-written by: Jade and Aniiston

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Chapter II 

Suspicions

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Written by: Jade

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Point of View: Riku

What is this feeling? This feeling of insecurity, of almost knowing…of almost having emotion…it's weighing on my mind. 

The white kitten had become my shadow, for she followed literally in my footsteps, followed me everywhere I went. At first I did not care, but now it was a fault; a very, very, annoying fault. 

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But it still reminds me of Kairi.

Yes, it's true; this fluffy insignificant ball of white brings memories of a girl whom I was a year senior. But how could it bring memories of a girl I had left behind so many years before? The simple light that shone from the bowels of the kitten's heart; that was what reminded me of her. I can almost say that it is this light that kept me from completely going dark, completely going merciless and cold.

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But it was never enough.

No, it never was enough to keep me from going over. Though I may never feel any real emotions again, I still grasp at that flame, at that light. 

Although no light ever raises me, I always awake at the precise time to begin another day's work of slaying the Heartless. It's almost comforting, though I do believe I know no comfort. Finding myself still unusually sleepy, I quickly, quietly dressed in a simple black outfit; after all, black was but the only color that existed in Pareja, amid the many fading neon lights. 

And again, that damn kitten was following me. I tried to pay as little attention to it as possible, but to no avail; she was attacking my worn boots like they were threatening mice and purring against my leg as if I owned her. I even kicked her away numerous times, but she would keep coming back. 

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Just like Kairi.

I forced the thought out of my head and pushed the persistent kitten away as I made my way toward Pareja. The towering raven gates opened to my being; the usual practice. The darkened streets were deathly quiet, though it hardly bothered me at all; quiet was the only noise this city made, and I was fine with quiet.

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But I can't say I'm happy.

No, I can't. Happiness is a curse, a jinx on any soul. Happiness is a nightmare that no one in Nihility had ever dreamt, had ever felt…

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…Can ever comprehend…

I experienced happiness once in my lifetime. I know; otherwise I'd be a vicious, life-sucking knight of darkness. Though I probably am, I still have my sanity, which proves I once experienced happiness. 

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It makes no sense…

I came a ways from the Entrance Gate, coming to the route I patrolled for heartless. Leaning on a wall of an eroding building, my stormy cobalt eyes scanned the surroundings. Nothing new, really. Claw marks, footprints, antennas, and the very stench of the Heartless littered the street. Rolling my eyes, I set their icy gaze on the kitten, which was attacking an invisible bird. She jumped into the air stealthily, pawed at the bird, and fell on all fours before rolling over, swiping, and doing it all again. 

Then, there was a sound. A very…familiar…sound. It stopped when my head jerked from the kitten to my left. The kitten wasn't moving…it was as if time had frozen. 

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And so…it begins…

True; when time freezes, the Heartless are but seconds away. I glared at nothing and folded my arms placidly in front of me, the black fingerless gloves blending into the dark shirt like the sky over water. The Heartless then showed themselves. I smirked and pulled from my sides the two short swords. I set my feet apart and ready…and the battle began. 

They came from the very center of Nihility…they kill without mercy, as do I…and they laughed at what they slaughtered. With a rush of wind, they appeared, going from dark pools of black, and taking shape to the mindless monsters known as Heartless. 

They stared at me expectantly with their beady yellow eyes, squawking to each other in the unknown language they always seemed to say.

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Perhaps it's the language of simple stupidity.

Is there a language of stupidity? I could have chuckled at that had I been anyone else. But no, I was me, and laughter is not in my language of silence. 

A breeze blew by, and the Heartless began to lunge at me from all angles. The first wave of Heartless were bigheaded with long antennae, those disgustingly huge and ugly eyes, clown-footed, and long-clawed. They were the easiest to defeat; only one slash at them destroyed them, but they deployed the smallest of spoils of battle. 

The first batch were slain with ease. Before the second set, however, I noticed the white cat; she was pawing at the remains of the Heartless and whining. Now I had to worry about that stupid cat. 

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But why was I worrying over her?

The creature was weak and frail, yet still had that shred of light no one in Pareja, in Nihility even had. Was that the reason? No, I don't worry over anyone but myself, no matter what they held inside. No one worries about anyone but themselves in this city of terrifying darkness and nightmarish death. No one cares.

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So why was I worrying?

I sliced at each Heartless, keeping one eye on the kitten that was miraculously easily avoiding the heavy steps of each Heartless as they stomped on the cold, hard ground. It came almost to the point where I didn't need to look out for her. Then I heard her cry. A Heartless had stepped on her. An overwhelming urge to destroy the one who did it overtook my thoughts, and I turned my full attention to just the Heartless. 

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Slash…parry…blow…

As each Heartless was annihilated, they disappeared into a pool of continuing black. Their screams of pain and terror were almost melody to my ears, and the sounds of metal to skin added to the pleasure of killing each and every one. 

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And then I was surrounded.

I was fast; faster than most could go. But I found myself in the middle of thousands of beady eyes, narrowed and malicious, awaiting more. I set my heavy glare straight ahead as a Heartless I hadn't seen before emerged. 

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Or maybe I had seen it…in nightmares.

It looked like a suit of armor, floating above the ground as though weightless. It had color, too; an ugly shade of purple. That wretched Heartless sign was pasted in the middle of the torso; long, sharp claws for hands, and big duck-feet were added to the picture, as well as the round and silver head. 

I locked onto the torso and crisscrossed the blades in front of me – a sign that to the darkness that I was ready to fight. The creature flew forward and I jumped to destroy whatever I could. It seemed this 'Guard Armor' would take longer to suppress, for along with the torso, the arms and legs must be demolished. The first four limbs were easily crushed, but the torso was taking longer than expected; I had to keep one eye on it and one eye on the cat, who was, at the current time, being surrounded by a hoard of the tiny Heartless specimens. 

I knocked the Guard Armor to the side and ran toward the monstrosities ganging up on the white cat. A few tried a head butt, but I dodged rolled out of the way and scooped the kitten into my arms as I did. I practically threw her across the street as I fought of the cluster of Heartless enveloping me; and just as I finished fighting off a group, something threw me across the road; the Guard Armor was back.

It was getting boring. I unleashed a combo of gashes and hacks at the ugly frame of the Heartless and within moments, it was oppressed, vanishing into the endless pool of black; with it, the rest of the Heartless vanquished. 

I was suddenly panting…but why? I limped towards the kitten, who had stayed where I had thrown her. 

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Wait…limping?

I fell and looked at my knee; I had suddenly noticed the pain it inflicted on the rest of my nerves. The joint was bleeding and many claw marks were visible on the fabric of the black jeans; obviously some creature had managed to get away from my vision. I winced as I got back to my feet and left the town, the kitten trailing my heels. 

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She looks worried…

How can you read a mammal's face? How can you even tell what they're feeling? Somehow, I managed to do that. I didn't bother heading for supplies; they knew how many I killed and that I killed them, and I could always come back later.

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, I found myself at my home, lying on my bed. The pain didn't bother me that much, but I found it annoying that the kitten kept going to the wound and lying next to it. 

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What's she doing? 

With that last though, I gave myself up to sleep. But still…

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What was_ she doing?_


	3. Run In

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Chapter III

Run In

Point of View: Riku

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Written by: Aniiston (Chapter III)

Insomnia is something that the worthless gain and the estimable avoid; the mindless accept and the important evade. The god of the sleepless night; the devil of the always awake. It is truly a master in all its glory. Slowly withdrawing the precious sleep one gets in this world; taking by force the only peace one has and will ever get. The sleepless fiend comes when one no longer understands it; when his or her comprehension has come to a fault.

_Insomnia is invading me._

Gradually I am beginning to loose sleep; staying up later than I planned and awakening earlier than I wished. One would think that sleeping in an eternally dark city would be relatively simple, considering the circumstances. But this city is eternally dark in more ways than one. It is the darkness of the nightmares. In these past 4 years sleep had come easily to me; absorbing my time as though it were the atmosphere. 

Now I find myself avoiding slumber willfully, despite my endless tries of dreaming. I never could dream; I prefer reality to pathetic visions and images. They simply trick the mind into believing unimaginable things; replaying a simple occurrence of fiction repetitive times. But then again, is this world not unimaginable? It is truly a Hell. 

The time in which I feel faintly tired is almost around 2 o' clock in the morning, and I can sleep for almost 4 hours before I can no longer withstand sleeping. To keep myself occupied, I practice with my short swords or martial arts, both of which keep me entertained for hours. If I still find myself at a loss, I will walk outside, simply staring at the bland sky. It contains no stars, for the stars died along with the souls many decades ago.

But now, right in my home where I tended my minor wounds as well as my mutilated knee, I felt empty; as though I must drowned in my thoughts of nothing. Though a Heartless had indeed inflicted my knee, and it is burning in Hell for it, the wound was healing relatively fast, despite my poor medical treatment. I was no medic; never was. Even with the use of potions.

Lying back down upon my icy bed, I stared at my only shelf in the room. Medical equipment—seven potions, an Elixir, and two antidotes—lay upon it, waiting patiently to be used. Despite my trying of keeping away from the items, or at least trying my best not to use them, I still managed to drink a few a week. I suppose I can't help it, for I know no healing magics such as Cura and Curaga. Magic—healing magic—is not my forte.

Though I have to admit, it'd be nice to have someone, a Mage maybe, to be around when my wounds become major. But then again I really don't need one. It'd be a waste of time. My time. The people in this city know I need medical care eventually, though I know they need it more. People here fight; it is their gift, their talent. But not all of them fight. A good deal of the inhabitants have never used their fists, let alone a weapon in their entire lives. I pity those idiots. 

As my thoughts began to become heavier, I felt my eyes increase in weight as well. Did I actually feel tired? It was only midnight. I had a good two hours to go. But if I was indeed beginning to feel tired, I wasn't going to stop myself from a slumber I desperately needed. And so as my eyes began to shut—I felt a small animal jump upon my chest.

Gasping slightly, I shot up, the small kitten tumbling from my chest. The cat had ruined my sleep... "If you do that again I swear I'll skin and cook you alive..." I laid back down. "...Miserable animal...deserves to go...to...Hell..." 

_I was asleep._

Too bad an hour later I awoke, feeling as though a truck had run over my head. I think it was the cat trying to get back at me. Either way, I felt as though I was ill. Standing up, I stumbled across my room and into an obstruction, groping the wall for the shelf that contained the medical care. After moments of searching, I came upon a glass bottle that was indeed a potion. I took a sip of it, and the headache subsided slightly. I placed it back upon the shelf and literally fell to the floor.

But I found my bed and tried my hardest to get the sleep that I deserved. But apparently I didn't deserve any and ended up staying awake for the remainder of the night. When the moon was no longer in the sky, I knew that it was time for me to rise, and I was thankful to take out my rage on the daily harvest of Heartless.

_And to my joy..._

It was raining.

Grabbing my duel short swords and cloak, I began making my way down the flights of stairs, avoiding taking the small platform for fear the rain had messed with it. But as I began making my way outside, I noticed a ball of white following me. I glared.

"You can't come."

The cat only stared at me. I said nothing—what was I suppose to say?—and continued walking out in the rain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the kitten.

"I thought cats were supposed to be smart," I grumbled, picking up the worthless thing of fur and tossing it back inside the building. I turned away and began walking. _Meow_...The cat ran out into the rain, skipping around my feet as though it were trying to dance. 

"Okay..." I gritted through my teeth. "You see this?" I kicked water in its face. "_This_ is water. Cats don't like water."

The thing of fur began jumping in the puddles of rain. I sighed in frustration. "Fine. You know what? I don't care. Go die. I'll find your body and _eat you_ for nutrients." The cat seemed only to smile at me, though it had nothing to smile about. Turning away for the last time, I walked towards the Entrance Gate, the kitten wobbling beside me as though I were its master.

Once I arrived inside the city, I was pleased to see the numerous amounts of Heartless roaming about, preying on inhabitants and animals. Hundreds of these black, scrawny creatures, with their sharp golden eyes and wicked grins, glared at me, standing up straight and licking their claws. I smirked, my head tilted in a confident manner, and ran for them.

And they ran for me; each one leaving his or her own food to have a piece of my heart. Too bad they'd all be dead. As the first heartless lunged at me, I quickly evaded its strike, thrusting my left blade through its head, and the right through its heart. It quickly dissolved into the rain. Multiple Heartless believed themselves to be next and flung through the air, trying their best to, in any way, harm me. Stepping forward, I jumped into the air, slicing the first Heartless' head off and the second's stomach. The third was demolished as I unstuck both weapons and jammed the silver blades into its golden eyes.

_Silver meets gold._

Raven blood gushed from the Heartless as the three hit the ground, and I began my work upon the next dozen or so, who it turn, lost their lives on account of stupidity. One by one; two by two; dozen by dozen, I began working, each one falling to the ground in a similar manner.

It seemed only as though the Heartless continued to regenerate themselves, but it was not true. The Heartless always seemed to be abundant, but that's what half the fun is. They would be ending soon. The Heartless that seemed to appear out of thin air were small and weak, explaining to me silently that most were dead. 

_2 dozen Heartless left_.

I flung the left sword from my hand, allowing it to slice through the heads of two unsuspecting Heartless. Using my right sword, I began hacking away at the fiends in front of me, mutilating their bodies and killing their souls. As I received my left blade, I quickly annihilated the remaining Heartless, and soon the city was silent. With my weapons covered in black blood, and the watery, bloody ground shimmering, I drank a potion, revitalizing my energy and healing the small scrapes and cuts I received during my epic battle. 

Turning away from the street, I saw that the little white kitten was no longer in sight. I sighed. I knew it had been killed by the Heartless. But there was nothing I could do. Stupid animal. Coming into a battle. And with _me_. It might have had a chance of living... No, it never did. So, feeling slightly guilty, I walked towards the Entrance Gates.

_Meow..._

Damn...

I spun around and saw the mindless white cat jumping in the rain puddles, acting as though nothing had happened. I'm not sure why, but a relief swept across my chest and a weight left my shoulders. The cat was annoying, but it was nice having _something_ to talk to—well, I actually yelled at the damn thing, but either it way it was a bit comforting.

_Yay_...I made a friend day. A damn cat that won't leave me alone. 

"Come on..." I turned to leave, but was surprised to find that the kitten wasn't following me. Out of curiosity, I faced the cat to find it running away. It was leaving _now? _Suddenly, the kitten stopped and turned around, meowing at me.

"What?"

It meowed again before continuing running. It then stopped once again, turned around, and _meowed_ _at me._ Repeating the same moments over again several times, I finally decided that the thing of fur wanted me to follow it. Where was the cat going? I continued to follow the animal for a while before I stopped.

I had never been in this part of the immensely large city of Pareja before. The surroundings were relatively the same; dark, many buildings with neon lights, but there wasn't the feel of Heartless. Probably because it was so far back. I decided to turn away. "Sorry, cat." But the thing of fur stopped as well and began crying.

I growled in frustration. "You out all animals should know that curiosity kills kittens." And with that final, witty remark, I followed the animal through alley after alley, building after building until my legs began hurting.

Inside this city; inside this world, it is rather hard for one to tell the time without a proper watch or mechanism of time, for no sun lives here. And so I would be forced to suppose the timing of my journey, though my body seemed to tell me otherwise. I had been walking for _hours_ and the cat continued to lead. 

But finally, when I had believed I could no longer walk, the cat stopped at a towering building that gave me the worst chill up my spine. The cat glanced up at me with the biggest eyes and meowed. 

I glared. "What do you want me to do?" It was then I noticed that I was in front of a metal door. It certainly wasn't the most attractive of all doors, for it seemed that one touch of it would cause the thing to collapse. Cautiously, I opened the heavy door to find that it was still greatly intact, and the kitten sprinted past me. I practically tripped trying to avoid stepping on the white fluff ball, though it was hard. "Hey!" I yelled to the cat, sprinting after it.

The building was tall. About three times taller than the one I lived in, which caused it to have many sets of stairs. Step after step I climbed, feeling exhausted from simply not eating anything all day to the fact that rest has been avoiding me. The kitten continued to climb; a happy expression—I guess—spread across its face.

And at last—Thank God—we came to the top floor. I practically fell to my knees, all while glaring at the stupid feline and watched as it began scratching against a certain door. I did nothing to stop it. I didn't walk to the other side of this gigantic city, climb to the top of a forty-story building, and sit here without understanding _something_.

And so I stood up, having caught my breath, and awaited the owner to come to the door. No one came. The kitten began scratching harder, though I believe it did nothing to call attention to the master of the house. Walking towards the door, I banged on it with my fist, startling the kitten.

And finally the door opened and the kitten ran inside.

Though I believe I could no longer move.

I could no longer breath.

And I could no longer stand.

The young woman who had answered the door stood in front of me; her long, chestnut-red hair spilling over her shoulders, her lips slightly tinted with pink; her eyes a haunting blue and her skin a ghostly pale. I gripped for the railing as I stared at her, trying desperately hard to find my lost voice. And after moments of simply gapping, I spoke:

"K—Kairi...?"

She stared at me, her eyes equally as wide. "Riku?"

She was beautiful; simply gorgeous, and I couldn't comprehend that she was standing right in front of me. My body was trembling, as was hers, and I believe I wasn't surprised when the mug of water from her hands dropped, shattering as it met the cold floor, and her body falling after it, for she had fainted.

My quick reflexes allowed me to catch the young woman I hadn't seen in four years, and though I was just as surprised as she was, walked inside her small apartment, slamming the door behind me.


	4. Difficulties

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Chapter IV

Difficulties

Point of View: Riku

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Written by: Jade (Chapter IV)

It's amazing how someone can change so much over a course of just four years. I know that people do change, especially over a time period as such. But when someone changes so much as Kairi did, you'd think: _what happened?_ I certainly did. 

After bringing the unconscious young woman into her apartment, I laid her on her bed. Her condo was quite small, like mine, with just a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. And it was quite spotless. Not even clothes littered the floor. 

I stared at the woman on the bed for a few precious moments, taking the site of her in with relief and emotions that came flooding back almost too fast for me. Her chestnut-red hair had grown to her waist and was kept in one long braid. I vaguely wondered how she managed to keep it straight, and how she did it without a mirror, for as I looked around once more, I noticed she didn't have as much as a chiffonier. I turned to her again. Her skin was a soft pale, and her body was slim. But she still held the beauty I remembered in my rarest of rare dreams and memories. 

The white feline that had led me here jumped on the bed and cuddled next to Kairi's skinny form, purring contentedly. I smirked.

__

So this is her owner.

I found a broom and dustpan in the corner of the kitchen and swept the broken mug into the garbage. Then I went to check on Kairi. Her breathing was slow and even, but I needed to talk to her, so I gently shook her awake. 

"Riku?" she mumbled, one hand moving to her head. I nodded and helped her prop up to a sitting position. "How'd you get here?"

"Be quiet," I told her, taking a potion from my pocket. She immediately shook her head, and pushed it away. 

"No, no, I'm okay. Please, save it for yourself." With that, she placed her feet on the floor and turned to face me. "My God…are you really Riku?" She reached toward me and touched my cheek tenderly. I nodded, pulling away from her hand. "Where have you been for the last four years?" she asked disbelievingly. I sighed. 

"I've been in an apartment beside the city. How did you…where…I mean…" Kairi offered a sympathetic look as I trailed off. She understood that I was trying to say something, and that it was obviously not coming out. Still looking dizzy, she lay back on the bed and told me her story. 

Apparently, she came here four years ago, at the same time I did. When I asked her how it was possible, she quieted me. She never went back to the Destiny Islands, though it seemed that way for a while. Day after day, her home began breaking up, slowly disintegrating in front of her very eyes. She began to feel cold…lonely…even isolated, and soon found herself lost inside a world of dark; Nihility. After many a nights wandering, she came to Pareja, and was just lucky enough to find a condominium at the back, away from the real heat of the heartless. Soon enough, the kitten, in which she named Keiko, found her way to her, and kept her from losing her mind and voice as it kept her company and allowed her to talk all she wanted about everything, though there really wasn't that much to speak about except past memories that never failed to bring tears. 

"But how have you been able to survive?" I inquired miraculously. She frowned grimly. 

"It was hard...I suppose that's all I can tell you..." 

She continued.

"And since I had no defense, I could hardly even defend myself. I still have no fighting abilities or magical defense." My eyes fell to the floor as I shook my head disapprovingly. But, then again, there are hardly any ways to get money or even to stay alive in this city. I stopped and looked at her again. 

"And that's why you never left this part of Pareja." More of a statement than it was a question, but Kairi nodded in response. "No wonder I never found you. I never left my route either." Kairi looked at me confusedly. 

"Your route?" I nodded.

"I kill Heartless." She responded with a small 'oh'. "I still can't believe that you've been here, in the exact same city that I have visited daily for the last four years," I sighed. She hardly nodded. 

"It's like fate." I snorted.

"Fate? Finding each other in a city like this? You've changed more than I thought, Kairi." Kairi let out a breath.

"I'm talking about just finding each other. I didn't even think you were alive anymore." 

"Where's Sora?" I suddenly asked. Kairi looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"I thought you would have known." I shook my head slowly. 

"He's probably still looking for me, thinking you're safe at the Destiny Islands." My forehead creased. "What happened to everyone else? If they were restored when the Destiny Islands were restored, where were they when it was destroyed?" Kairi bowed her head sadly.

"I don't know. All I remember is that I was all alone in the darkness." I nodded solemnly. 

"That makes two of us." 

"How did you get here, Riku?" she asked me after a while. 

"I wish I knew, Kairi. When Sora closed the Door to Darkness, I just found myself in Nihility, and I soon found my way to Pareja. I've tried to forget as much of the experience as I possibly could, though," I added sullenly. After that, we wrapped up anything else, but not much needed to be said, mostly because we were both immensely tired. Kairi allowed me to sleep on the single couch near the window and across the room from her bed. I accepted, being too tired out to go home after the walk to just here and then all the way up the stairs. I was surprised to see she even had an extra sheet, but I denied it. I kept on all my attire and sat on the couch as Kairi blew out the single candle illuminating the room and went to sleep. Or, at least, pretended to. She wasn't going to sleep so easily, and I knew; she didn't necessarily trust me fully yet. It would take time. Even if I had been a friend of hers. 

__

She's afraid of me.

Is she? She's imposing that she is, but it could be a reflex feeling. After all, I could only imagine how many men she's been acquainted with over the last years. I rolled my eyes and laid down, hoping that Kairi would, too. 

__

Let her rest…I need to think…

But I soon couldn't help it. I gave myself up to sleepiness. The last thought that ran through my head was that cat. 

__

How'd she find her way to me…and then back to Kairi?


	5. Perplexity

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Chapter V

Perplexity

Point of View: Riku

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Written by: Aniiston (Chapter V)

I can hear the clock ticking in the distance; each hand slowly following the beat of time. One by one the time flows by, gradually turning to hours, which turn to days. I sit here, upon the bed of my best friend, watching her sleep so peacefully. Her breathing is silent, and with her chest levitating and decreasing slightly, she continued on in her serene slumber. 

__

So gorgeous...

Sleep has once again left me, and I no longer felt the need to commit such an act. The slumber took me for a mere 15 minutes, before I could hardly stand the restlessness of it all. And so I find myself here, sitting upon the edge of the bed my beautiful friend resides in. In sleep she is so lovely...an angel inside Hell. But there is no knight to save her, for the chains of the darkness have enveloped her easily.

I could see it; _anyone could_. It wasn't to the point of obvious, though I had known her for so long it was relatively easy. Her mood was darker. For the hour I had actually spoken with the girl, her thoughts were dismal; her attitude was solemn. This world has done what few could: demolish the light that lay inside this young woman's soul. 

When I had first seen her, so many things shattered; so many emotions filled my mind, weighing me to the dying floor. Kairi...She was here. My best friend, _one_ of my best friends, was here with me. _I had a friend._ She was with me now and I will not lose her. Not to the darkness, nor to anything else. The woman I had been in love with four years ago lay in front of me, still as the night air.

I glanced at the clock, much enthusiasm subtracted from my expression. Two in the morning. I had been observing Kairi for the last few hours, watching her still body. Her house, like mine, was neat, though I could tell it was only because of simple loneliness. _My_ home was clean for I wish not to act as though these inhabitants do, and I believe Kairi thought that same thing.

Movement.

__

Stirring. My heart stopped as my eyes locked upon Kairi's face, watching as her eyes tightened and her body stretched. She yawned, bringing her hand to her mouth, and awakening for the first time in hours. Outstretching her arms, she sat up, rubbing her crystal blue eyes and blinking multiple times. Turing to me, she looked quite surprised.

For a moment, we only stared at one another, my blue, almost aqua eyes meeting hers. If you've ever truly gazed into Kairi's eyes, without any disruption around, it's almost like becoming lost in a gem. Her eyes are something mysterious, so beautiful all on their own. And once again I found myself falling for this young woman. 

I broke our gaze.

Kairi smiled at me, combing her hands through her no longer braided hair and threw her legs over the side of the bed. We stood close to one another, and she stretched again, motioning for me to follow her. I obeyed, and soon found myself in the doorway of her kitchen, watching as she began pouring heated water into two mugs. Almost instantly did she begin adding tea pouches, stirring it thoroughly. With an outstretched hand, I gladly took the warm drink.

Once again, Kairi smiled at me, and made her way towards the sofa where we both sat down. I looked at her, and averted my gaze to the floor. 

"Not tired?"

I looked at her, surprised. "…Not really."

Kairi nodded, sipping her tea. We sat in silence for the next ten minutes, both of us trying our best to make _light_ conversation, for our discussion hours before left quite a burden riding upon our shoulders. I, in turn, took a sip of my tea, enjoying the feel of warmth trickle down my throat, for it rarely happened. And that was when I found myself staring into her eyes again. Kairi had gotten so radiant…and had lost her delightful attire long ago.

Now she plainly wore black shorts, with a raven sweatshirt and socks. The absence of light colors did not startle me, for everyone in the world wore dark attire. I preferred it, for I blended into the shadows far easier. I averted my gaze to my drink, following the ceiling, and finally settling upon Kairi once again. I spoke.

"Would you live with me?"

She nodded.

"Thank you."

Kairi smiled softly, sipping her tea for the second time. I watched her with cold eyes, and finished my drink, setting it lightly upon the glass table that lay in front of me. Silence filled the room.

"Riku?"

"Yeah?"

Her gaze rested upon the pure glass that could only be called a window. With softened eyes, her lips pursed, and her hands folded neatly, she spoke:

"I missed you."

I stood up and moved beside her, wrapping an arm around her delicate shoulder. "I missed you, too." It was at that moment that I realized Kairi didn't like being touched. I could feel her slightly shift uncomfortably under my simple contact, and I quickly removed my arm. Though all it did was create an urge to hold the young woman tighter. It had been so long…She needed time. Though why didn't I need any?

For the past four years I did my best not to think of Kairi, though now once she has appeared in my life, I feel motivated to sweep her into my arms. It's a _dull pain_ and _sharp emotion_; something one tries to avoid, though I have never been good at avoiding things.

__

Meow…

I moved my feet slightly to see the stupid white cat crawling around upon the floor, attacking invisible dust rodents. I snorted. "So where'd you manage to pick that thing up?"

Kairi smiled. "I take it you're not exactly friends with Keiko?"

"No. And I still don't get why you named it that."

My beautiful best friend rolled her eyes. "And what, dare I ask, did you call the poor thing?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking. "Actually, I called her 'thing of fur' a lot. That was pretty much it." Well it was true. I didn't want to name something I had a good chance of eating.

I heard Kairi laugh as the small kitten pounced upon her lap, curling up and resting. "She's been with me since I first came here."

"Are you sure? Shouldn't she be an adult by now?"

"I noticed that as well, but Keiko doesn't age. She's stayed a kitten ever sense I found her."

I sat back, content with my answer, though I didn't feel the least bit tired. And when Kairi asked why, I lied, saying I slept too much. Humph. _Slept too much. Yeah right._ And here I was trying to get sleep! But as an hour past, Kairi fell asleep upon her resting hand that propped her head up. Feeling obligated, I carried her to her bed and tucked her in.

__

And once again, began observing the lovely young woman.

~*~

I had fallen asleep an hour before I awoke, feeling rather drained of my energy as well as my thoughts. Today I would not fight the Heartless. For the first time in 4 years, I decided I would skip a day of slaughtering the evil fiends; though that meant lives would be taken. But there was nothing I could do. I couldn't save every life in this _lifeless_ city, despite how hard I tried. 

Knocking upon Kairi's open door, she turned to me, small items in her handbag. "You finished?"

"I'm not bringing much."

"Fine."

I wanted Kairi to stay with me now until we found a way out of this terrible Hell. I _needed _her. No, I _wanted _her. Just the simple fact that she would be so near gave relief to me. Whether or not she knew it, she was saving me. Saving me from Nihility, as well as the silence. I flashed a quick reassuring smile at the woman, before leaving the room.

She walked out behind me.

And I saw the cat.

"_No_."

Her hands met her hips. "She's coming."

"Kairi…" I mumbled, running a hand through my hair.

Her expression changed to apologetic. "I promise she won't be an annoyance to you."

__

She already is _an annoyance to me_. I sighed, stuffing my hands inside my pockets. "Fine. But if you find her bones lying about, _don't_ look at me."

She smiled. "Okay."

With my back to the girl, I mumbled: "Let's go."

It would surely take a good couple of hours to reach my home, though Kairi seemed to not mind in the least. But there was one thing I wasn't counting on, and even when I look back upon it, I feel immensely stupid. Kairi and I continued walking down the terrible flights of stairs, sparking my wonder of how she did this everyday. Not only was the trip tiring, it was quite dizzying. But then again I hadn't done this for four years.

__

Step after step...

Our of the corner of my eye, I saw Kairi place Keiko on the ground, paying greater attention to the items that lay in her hands—two potions, a blanket, a small pouch of various stones, and three candles. Cautiously, she began placing each one inside her pack, and swung it upon her shoulders, creating a sort 'back pack' effect. I smirked at her, and turned my attention back towards the stair.

I heard a screech, and before I had a chance to look down upon the descending step of the tall staircase, I had been tripped off, and was falling towards the ground. The staircase wound upward, staying close to the wall, leaving a huge gap in the center of the building, allowing items to fall freely towards the cement ground. 

"Riku!" Kairi screamed, her hand out stretched as mounds of Heartless surrounded her.

I looked back at her before I felt a beam of wood intercept with my back, and I began tumbling faster towards to the ground. With the pain aching through my body, I regained my composure as best I could and caught onto a passing railing. In one swift motion, I swung my body over the railing, staggering down a set of stairs before crashing into a wall. Without having much time to halfway recover myself, I stood up, swaying slightly...and falling over.

I could hear Kairi screaming.

Before I realized what my body was doing, I was up on my feet, sprinting up the staircase as fast I humanly could. And if smoke could rise from one's feet, it certainly would be doing so now. My muscles ached, and I cursed myself for not being in better shape. With my adrenaline at its peek, I returned to the spot I had fallen from, to find Kairi gone as well as the Heartless. I choked.

The Heartless lay in front of me, or at least their blood and limbs did, completely mutilated. The smell was terrible and I found it odd that it was the first time I had noticed it. But my thoughts quickly changed as I thought of Kairi. _Where _was she? Had the Heartless taken her heart for the second time?

__

No!

I quickly averted my gaze over the short railing, straining my eyes for any sign of moment; any life form. None. Panic filled my body as I began descending the stairs once again, this time pushing myself past my limit. Though my body ached terribly, I thanked the Heavens nothing was broken, and continued down the endless flight of stairs. My heart was pounding and my lungs were as though fire had been ignited upon them. 

__

Go...Come on...

When at last the last set of stairs had been descending, I stopped, breathing hard, and looked around. No one. Not one person was in my view. I ran behind a corner and looked through niches, hoping Kairi had the sense to hide. Quickly turning around, my shoulders shrugged in relief. Kairi lay against a wall, unconscious, her head slightly tilted. 

I had no idea how she had gotten past all those Heartless alive, or how she ended up here so quickly, but I didn't care. She was still breathing! And as I quickly bundled her into my arms, never wanting to let her go, the white kitten known as Keiko meowed, for she had been sitting by Kairi obediently.

Come to think of it, now that I have taken a good look at Kairi, she was in perfect condition; not a single scratch on her lovely face. 

What...

What had happened...?

I locked my eyes upon the feline once again.

And realized something was different about that cat...


	6. Amazing

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Nihility

****

Co-written by: Jade and Aniiston

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Chapter VI

Amazing

****

Written by: Jade

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Point of View: Riku

****

As I picked up the unconscious form of my lovely best friend, I came to a realization that there was something going on with that cat. It was a good something, though, for it seemed Keiko was looking out for Kairi's best interest. Beyond the matter, however, it was a bit hard for me to watch for Heartless while at the same time thinking of everything that had gone on.

__

It's almost hard to believe…

I made my way out of the rickety building and onto the street, studying my surroundings. My home was quite a ways from here, and now that I had rested, I knew my way back, remembering the way Keiko had led the night before. 

_Strange…_

Strange indeed how a kitten would know her way from one place to another in such a place as Pareja. She was _only_ a kitten, after all, and if for over four years she'd been with Kairi, I wondered vaguely how she knew her way around the city. 

_How'd she get to me, though?_

I turned my gaze to Keiko, who was, at the current moment, seeming very tense as she walked beside me, her back straight, steps even. It was then, my friend, that I noticed the difference that seemed to take place in the pearl feline. 

__

Or maybe it isn't a difference…maybe it was there all along.

Her eyes…they were different. I had never taken a moment to look at the kitten thoroughly before, but now that I'm studying her, I remembered her eyes to be black. Now they were two different colors; dark blue and light blue. 

__

How immensely strange.

I sighed lightly and continued walking, devoting all my attention to what was in front of me, rather than what was walking beside me or resting in my arms. I walked for many an hour, hardly being weighed down by Kairi's slender figure. But we eventually arrived at the entrance to Pareja. Passing the item shop, I made a mental note to visit it later, for I was now in dire need of more items since Kairi was coming to live with me. 

__

Finally…

The metal gates swooshed open silently and I walked through. I took a much-needed breath as I turned to look over my shoulder. Indeed, we had gotten back without much interference; in fact, without any interference. I wondered why the Heartless had not tried to ambush me, seeing as I was occupied, but I thought perhaps they were scared. 

Shaking my head, I walked up to the eroded building that was my 'home'. I carefully lay my friend to the side, noticing that she was now asleep rather then unconscious and shoved a metal key into the lock of the door. After opening it, I picked Kairi up and walked in, still thinking as I finally got into my condo and locked it shut. I laid her on my bed and pulled a sheet to her chin as Keiko jumped up and sat obediently next to her, gazing at her face. Carelessly, I threw my cloak on a small pile of shirts that needed to be washed and dropped her bag as well as the two short swords.

Sitting down on the bed, I found myself staring at her again. With such intricate beauty, I could've stared forever if she hadn't stirred. 

__

Stirred…

Opening those lovely crystal eyes, she yawned once and stretched. She shot a tiny smile at me, and I only returned it with a nod. After four years of isolation, I almost forgot _how_ to smile.

"What...happened?"

I shrugged. "Heartless." I didn't know why I decided not to tell her the entire truth, but frankly I didn't know the entire truth myself.

"We're at your home?" she asked tiredly, sitting up slightly. I nodded and handed her a potion from my shelf. "Is that from my bag?" I nodded, watching her sip it and put it down. 

"Kairi," I asked, staring at my hands, which were folded placidly on my lap. She looked at me. "You need to learn how to defend yourself. I want to train you." Kairi sat up completely. Despite the rigorous hours and time consuming tasks, my defense-less friend was truly just that. Defenseless. Along side the many years of knowing the girl, I had been trained beside Sora, learning various sword techniques and fist movements, but Kairi herself never actually learned any of it. 

"I don't think I'd want to. Besides," She seemed to gulp. "I've seen you train with Sora," I inwardly winced. "And it's usually pretty harsh." She gave me a stare. 

Resistance.

"Kairi, you may be physically weak, but I'll help you diminish that quality. You need to learn how to fight in case…anything ever happens." I pulled my head up to look into those beautiful light blue eyes. "You have to." But my best friend wasn't giving up without a fight.

"Riku, no. I don't want to. You're not going to make me." I rolled my eyes. 

"Why can't you?" 

"Because I know you. You'll work me to no end! " She threw her hands up. 

"That's the only way you'll learn," I argued. 

"Riku…" I stopped her. 

"Please Kairi. You know you need it. You don't even know magic. What if I have to leave to get food and you're suddenly ambushed by something or someone?" Kairi's expression was blank.

"No one would. Who'd bother?" I was a little taken aback, but I shook my head upon receiving my outward composure. 

"I guess no one. But still, if it ever happens-" Kairi cut me off. 

"Fine. I'll train." I looked at her, seeing a twinge of fear in her eyes. 

"Why are you afraid?" I asked. 

"I'm not afraid!" she answered defiantly. 

"You are. Why?"

She sighed.

"I'd rather not get hurt anymore than I already am." 

I nodded.

"I know. And I'm going to be here to protect you. But you have to _learn_ how to help me protect you." She looked up and our gazes locked. 

"I won't need your protection if…"

"You'll train?" Captivated, she nodded. I mimicked her. "Then it's settled. We start tomorrow." I got up from my spot on the bed and began picking up my cloak and the numerous shirts from the floor. 

I looked at her again and asked, "Want a drink?" 

She nodded.

"Water, please." I took a glass from the side of the sink and filled it with water before bringing it out and handing it her. "Thank-you," she murmured before sipping it and placing it on the single bedside table. 

"Have a good night sleep. We begin training tomorrow." 

"Wait!" I turned around. "Where are you going to sleep?" I didn't take time to contemplate that. 

"On the couch," I stated simply, going over to it and sitting. 

"No, let me sleep on the couch. You keep your bed." She rose but suddenly feeling dizzy, fell down. "Oh my head…" I sighed. 

"Sleep, Kairi. You'll regret it if you don't." I lay down on the couch, still awake, but pretending to be asleep so Kairi would as well. Sure enough, the room grew steadily silent except for the sound of Kairi's soft and tranquil breathing.

__

Amazing how she manages to do that…


	7. Caige, the Mirror Dweller

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Chapter VII

Caige, the Mirror Dweller

Point of View: Riku

****

Written by: Aniiston (7th Chapter)

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Run...

Hurry...

Make Haste.

You mustn't stop...

Don't stop.

He'll kill you Riku....

From the inside out.

Take away what you love the most...

And then you'll die.

From horrid isolation...

And suffocating realism. 

I'm getting tired...So tired...Though my eyes cease to shut, my energy is slowly draining from my body, and I am beginning to feel weak; feel empty. I can no longer run at my full capacity, nor can I fight with all my strength. My form fails to stand straight and my vision has become blurry, slowly causing my strategies to fall and my thinking to die. I feel helpless and lost. Alone and isolated. Time goes by and it always gets worse.

I feel as though I can no longer fully grip the handles of my blades, and my once sharp movements have become dull. I find myself falling constantly, and more wounds have appeared on my body. Potions...the precious potions that I must drink to survive are slowly disappearing before my eyes as I drink them so quickly. I feel my breathing become heavy; I can sense the air crisping.

My insomnia has becomes worse; it will not leave me be. Sleepless nights have become my only companion in the depths of the dark, for I believe I am trying to kill the inevitable. I no longer can sleep; if I shut my eyes it hurts, or at least my mind hurts. It is slowly killing me the inside out. My restless form will be the end of me. My eyes are now black, lifeless orbs that simply serve as my guide to move...I know I'm worn...

__

I am worn.

It has been four weeks that Kairi has lived by my side, constantly training to the best of her abilities. I feel proud of the girl; she's putting every ounce of strength into these lessons and because of that, she has improved. Her reflexes have become swifter, and she is more aware of her surroundings. 10-hour days of training have done her well, though she still has much to learn.

Because of this training, she's had to learn to let me touch her. It's awkward, and I understand that she abhors being touched, but if I'm to train her, we're going to have to make physical contact. But oddly enough, she's dealing with it quite well and no longer flinches when being touched. I respect her...I always will respect her.

Kairi, as many know, has begun training in the marital arts, not the short sword. My intentions were to have Kairi learn how to use a weapon, but it backfired. She wouldn't touch it; wouldn't allow her fingers to grip the handle. And so my skills in martial arts came in handy; the ones I almost never use. She has taken to it as well as she has to everything else. I thank her for that.

But now, four weeks later, our training has become slow and gradual, forcing Kairi to halt her learning. I'm finding it hard to train her for 10 hours a day, and regularly it has become less and less. I believe she has begun to notice this and has started training on her own. Though I have yet to understand how she does this.

But right now, right now I'm trying hard to teach the beautiful young woman. Her round kicks are off again, and she's not keeping her guard up...And that stupid cat won't leave me alone. I turned to Kairi once again and instructed her a move she had just recently learned. Sending me an apologetic glance, she jumped into the air, doing a 540 turn with multiple kicks. 

She failed and fell to the ground.

"Again."

She rubbed her head and jumped to her feet, once again trying the move. I soon found her on the ground again, rubbing her head from the impact it made with the land. She smiled softly and pulled herself to her feet, ready to try it anew. She fell. Moving away from her, I demonstrated the kick again, giving her the proper instructions of how it should be carried out.

She tried and failed again.

"Keep going." My voice carried on my tired appearance. But it was odd. I didn't _feel_ tired. I felt empty; without an ounce of energy. Loosing my balance slightly, I stumbled, gripping a wall of the decayed building we trained in and took a small breath. "Now."

Kairi obeyed, jumping into the air and spinning around. She almost made it, though her landing was terrible and she tumbled to the ground. Keiko jumped on her chest, licking the girl's face. I growled. "Come on, Kairi. Try it again."

She stood up, letting the kitten jump from her shoulders. "What am I doing wrong?"

I exhibited the spin and the multiple kicks again and explained that she threw off her balance as soon as she threw the last kick, which explain why she lost her footing every time and fell. Nodding at my explanation, she tried the kick again.

__

Spin...

She fell.

I rubbed my eyes, sighing and looked at my watch. _10:30 p.m_. "That's enough for today. We can get up earlier tomorrow and practice."

"Sounds good." 

I saw her yawn and stretch her arms above her head before leaning over and picking up Keiko. The kitten meowed and jumped from her arms, scurrying out of the building towards my apartment. I rolled my eyes as Kairi came to my side, her arms folded nonchalantly across her chest. Our eyes locked.

"You seem tired."

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She seemed to accept my answer, despite how lame it really was and walked beside me as we made our way home. The kitten was waiting for us patiently as I unlocked my door, waiting for Kairi to walk inside before shutting it behind me. I watched as Keiko leaped up onto the couch and Kairi sprint to the kitchen for water.

I said nothing to them and fell upon the couch, causing Keiko to tumble off and cry to Kairi. For the first time in the month I've been with her, she ignored the pleas of the stupid cat and quickly ran to my side, dropping to her knees and shaking my shoulders gently. "Riku?" I barely opened my eyes, and I saw her worried face peering down into mine.

"What?"

"Come on..." she mumbled, grabbing my hand and yanking me off the couch. I was surprised at how strong Kairi had gotten in the past four weeks, though she wasn't strong enough to support my body as I literally fell into her. The two of us crashed into a nearby wall, sending items falling as though they were rain. Sluggishly, the young woman dragged me to my room, allowing me to fall to my bed.

"Good night, Riku."

"Night, Kairi."

And she was gone.

It would be three hours before I would see Kairi again.

I heard the door slightly open, only darkness lighting the way as Kairi slipped in, my boxers and shirt as her nightwear. Calmly, she lay down beside me, pulling some of the blanket over her shivering form. She spoke: "...Why didn't...." she paused. "Why didn't you tell me you were an insomniac?"

I snorted. "Because I'm not."

She knew I was.

Hell, _I _knew I was.

"How long haven't you been sleeping?"

I told her three weeks.

"...Riku..." She turned to me and locked her lovely eyes upon mine. "You need to sleep."

"Kairi, I _can't_."

"What?"

"I can't fall asleep. Don't you think I've tried?"

I heard the young woman sigh and turn away from me, shifting slightly. "Riku...I worry about you sometimes." And that was all she said before sleep overtook her body and mind. 

I lay here in the middle of the night, watching the sleeping princess that I had tried to save so many years ago. I had failed and Sora had won. He was the one who Kairi loved, and he was the one who promised to take care of her. 

__

And he didn't. 

I had beaten him in everything, except for Kairi's attention.

__

I wanted that attention.

I smirked. But then again he wasn't the one lying next to her, now was he?

__

No, he wasn't.

I was.

Her form was pale, an almost ghostly ashen that far exceeded the inhabitants of this world. With her long, scarlet-chestnut hair that was sprawled elegantly across her back and the pillow, her eyes shut calmly and her body still, I believed myself to truly be blessed. It was a blessing that I had found Kairi. It was a blessing that she had come to live with me. 

__

And for that I thank the skies. 

I wrapped my arms around her shivering body, pulling her into my warm, yet cold embrace, and buried my face into her hair, taking in her fragrance. Her hair was silky, almost velvety in way, and looked as though it was the threads of an angel, rather than the hairs of a young woman. This only caused me to hold her tighter, entwining my ankles with hers.

I loved Kairi.

__

And she loved Sora.

Whom I believed to be dead.

These thoughts always succeeded in causing my head great pain, and I try my best not to think of them. So slowly, I lay my head beside Kairi's, feeling at ease as well as slightly relaxed, and for the first time in such a long while, I fell asleep.

The night seemed short.

I shifted comfortably, my eyes glued shut and with my sleeping form numb, I yawned. What time was it? I could sense no light at the moment or the shuffling of Kairi or Keiko, and so with little curiosity, I pried open my sleep-shut eyes, yawning again, though barely moving. The white ceiling greeted me and that was when I noticed Kairi was no longer in the room.

I groaned, sitting up with my hand immediately following to rest upon my forehead, rubbing gently. Had I actually fallen asleep...had I actually slept the entire night? It didn't seem likely, but before I had a chance to answer my own thoughts, my best friend appeared. With her hair pulled back messily and her attire still consisting of her nightclothes, I understood that it must have been 2 or so in the morning. She came over, a small grapefruit in her hand, accompanied by water and handed it to me. Kneeling, she smiled. "You're awake."

"What time is it?"

"11:30."

As I had thought. I had only slept for a mere hour, and the night was still young. I sighed, falling back upon my mattress that I called a bed, and spoke: "Why are you up? You still have time to sleep."

I heard Kairi laugh lightly.

"What?"

"Riku, it's 11:30_a.m_." 

My head shot up as did my chest and I stared at Kairi, wide-eyed, and choked. "Are you sure?" She nodded. 

Then that meant only one thing. I had slept for 12 hours straight, without waking once. And that, my friends, was when I began laughing. Kairi gave me a glance only the sane gave the crazy as I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly. "Thank you!"

"R-Riku? Why are you thanking me?" I knew she felt uncomfortable, but I needed her to look past that at the moment.

I left the embrace, smiling, and stood upon my own two feet, running my hands through my silver hair. I felt so revived...so happy. "It's because of you, Kairi, that I could get to sleep!"

She smiled softly. "Riku, I think you were just tired."

Maybe I was...but something inside of me told me I wasn't. 

But nonetheless, the two of us ate our grapefruit and drank our water, and as for the rest of the day, trained. Though I do believe I wasn't nearly as hard on her as I should have been.

As the day grew colder and my attitude mimicked it, I began working Kairi harder until she could no longer stand. That was when I allowed her a short 15-minute break, though after that was completed, it was back to training. The girl was working hard; hardest I had ever seen her work, actually. She was determined to become a great martial artist, and I believe she would become one with time.

If a sun existed here, it would be setting now and the haunting, yet golden rays of sunlight would be splashing over our shoulders and drowning inside our eyes. But there's no sun here, and so I watched as the moon appeared, dim and bright all in one and frowned, yet smiled upon us. I turned to face Kairi, who stood in the center of the area we trained, practicing her forms and concentrating on her breathing. 

"Hey, Kai?"

She faced me. "Yes?"

"I'm going to be out for a while. Just stay inside while I'm gone, okay?" I explained as she nodded in understanding and moved in the direction towards my apartment, Keiko nipping at her heels. I turned away, blades in hand and a dire need of bloodshed upon my face.

Little did I know Kairi had no intention of returning to the apartment. Silently, she unlocked the door, only to shut it tightly, re-locking it and throwing the key into her pocket without so much as a word. Slowly, the young woman's back faced the door, and she sprinted through the buildings of the village, Keiko following her as well.

If most of the village had been intact, it would surely have been beautiful. One could just tell that the buildings had once been something of great importance, that they truly did have a purpose. Kairi's sprint sank to a walk as she began looking around. For as long as she had lived in this world, outside of Pareja was unknown territory. 

Her arms were strong and had much tone to them, so it was relatively easy for the girl to pull herself over bars and gates, as well as ladders and ledges. Her stomach had improved greatly and now was firm and compact, allowing her to receive multiple hits without collapsing. 

As Kairi reached for another bar of a ladder, she hauled herself up and took a breath. Now was a lovely building underneath her feet, a wide and vast view of numerous skyscrapers and dark skies in her eyes. The air, the atmosphere was fresher the higher one was, though so much pollution and smoke inhabited it already. With Keiko by her side, she walked across the black rooftop, examining her surroundings. 

Crates of anonymous items and junk lay about, odors of different aromas inside them. Peering into each of them, she found nothing of interest, each one holding nothing of importance. Old decaying weapons...assorted cans and tools, but nothing that seemed... special. Ignoring the remaining boxes, she walked towards another ladder, no taller than herself and began climbing it. Before a minute passed, she came to a platform, a tall brass door greeting her.

With a strong pull of the handles, the new fighter opened the doors, revealing a dusty room of simply mirrors and glass. Each one shimmering off one another, smiling evilly at Kairi in their own malicious way. Breathing quickly, Kairi walked inside, her reflection hitting each slate of glass. The young woman halted, eyeing a certain mirror that hung at the end of the large room. With its marble white color and lovely engravings, who couldn't help but notice it?

Reaching out a hand, she skimmed the surface of the mirror. A slice of pain rang through her body as she tumbled backward, gasping loudly, her eyes wide. The mirror...it had caused her pain? Moving forward again, she gleamed at the mirror, holding her breath and reaching out...

A hand caught hers.

She screamed.

The hand was light tan, and the owner slowly gripped its fingers around Kairi's, ignoring her desperate struggle to get away. Her skills from the 10-hour days of martial arts were forgotten as the hand brutally pushed her away, forcing her to the ground. Kairi's eyes widened as the owner of the hand appeared, walking out of the mirror. 

He was tall and well built, his blonde feathery hair falling in his gray eyes. A white sleeveless shirt only known as a 'wife beater' and loose, gray pants accompanied by numerous belts was his attire, with cuffs of black leather wrapped around his wrists. His eyes were set in a glare and as he stepped forward in his black boots, he crouched down, his eyes locking with Kairi's. 

He spoke:

"Hi!"

Kairi screamed and scurried backward, crashing into a nearby mirror, her face stricken with panic. The young man's face turned apologetic, and he quickly sprinted over to Kairi, kneeling beside her again. "Are you okay?"

With her breath in a stutter, she inhaled, closing her eyes and reopening them. "W-who are you?"

The young man smiled. "I should be asking you that, now shouldn't I?" He pulled Kairi from the glassy mirror and sat down beside her, crossing his legs. Eyeing her again, he smirked. "Now, what are you doing in a place like this alone?"

Kairi said nothing and the young man's smile turned to a grin. "Come now, you have to speak. We won't get anywhere if you keep your mouth shut."

Hesitantly, Kairi looked up from the dusty marble floor. "...I was...looking around..."

"Looking around? Not much to look for here." He gazed at the room of mirrors. "Unless you want to find your double." He laughed at his own joke, though stopped as Kairi averted her gaze back to the floor. 

"...I'm Kairi."

"Kairi eh? Nice to meet you Kairi. The name's Caige, Dweller of the Mirrors."

She looked at him oddly.

He laughed. "I _live_ in mirrors."

Arching an eyebrow, she gazed. "Why would you want to live in mirrors?"

He grumbled. "It's better than living out there."

"No kidding."

The flow of conversation died down as though a drought had overcome a flood, and soon the mirror-filled room was silent. Only the drips of the newly falling rain could be heard. Keiko, who had mysteriously disappeared, remained gone, and Kairi and Caige remained in their positions, a word never leaving their lips. 

Breaking the silence, Caige spoke: "Why were you wondering around without a protector?"

Kairi snorted. "I don't need a protector."

"Really?"

Kairi smirked. _Don't sound so surprised._ Stretching out her arms, she turned to Caige, for a question had struck her mind. "Why can you speak?"

The short-haired young man looked quite taken aback, though brushed it off with a smirk. "Why were you out alone?"

"Answer my question first."

"Didn't I actually ask the first question?"

Kairi looked annoyed. "My friend...he went out for a while, and I went off on my own."

"And I can talk because I wish to."

"But I thought all inhabitants here couldn't talk?"

"Everyone can talk. They just don't _want_ to."

And before another word was spoken, the brass doors were forced open and I rushed in, my duel short swords absent from my grip. Before Kairi had a chance to stop me, I had grabbed this blonde haired young man by the neck and had thrown him up against a mirror, a glare set in my eyes. "What'd you do to her?!"

He said nothing and to my surprise melted directly into the mirror. My hands met the glass and I quickly pulled away, for I felt as though I had been sliced in the palms. Stepping back, I looked around the room, ready for him to attack.

He never did.

"Riku stop!" Kairi yelled, running to me with a look of worry spread across her face.

I glared.

"I thought I told you to go home?!" I said angrily, causing her to rear back from me. 

"Calm down, man, she's fine," I heard the man say as he walked out from a mirror.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Name's Caige Cyste. Nice to meet you...eh...?"

"It's none of your business." His friendly attitude had caught me off guard for a mere moment, though I easily brushed it off. Turning back to Kairi, I saw her kneeling down, petting Keiko.

"So you went to get Riku, now did you?"

I glared and pulled Kairi from the ground. "Let's go."

"Riku—"

"Now."

A pang of guilt rang through my heart as I watched Kairi sigh silently, gently pulling the small cat into her arms. Waiting until she was completely out of the tower, I gave a final friendly glare to Caige and made my way out as well. 

With the rain pouring harshly and the smell of Heartless roaming about, I caught up with Kairi, accompanying her down the many ladders and buildings at which she had climbed so easily. Placing my jacket over her trembling bare shoulders, she spoke,

"Keep it." Her voice was low and dry.

"You'll freeze."

Kairi stopped, turning to me and glared. "Fine, then let me freeze." And taking the jacket, she let it fall from her fingers to the muddy water beneath. 

"Kairi—"

She turned back, the water slipping through her hair and drenching her body. Her form was pale, though her cheeks did contain an ounce of color, proving to me that she was indeed mad. "Riku, I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know—"

Kairi's glared deepened, as did the rain. "I can take care of myself for an hour or two, Riku! I've been doing it for the past four years! I'm 18 for crying out loud and you treat me as though I'm going to die if you're not by my side!"

She ran.

And I ran after her.

When I arrived at my apartment I found Kairi locked in my room, her back against the door with tears running down her face.


	8. Silent Respect

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Chapter VIII

Silent Respect

Point of View: Riku

****

Written by: Jayde (8th Chapter)

__

Why me?

I couldn't stop asking myself that. Over and over and over again. 

__

Why me?

Perhaps I have no right to ask myself such a question. Then again, was it not my fault Kairi was angered so? By me and my constant protecting of her? She is no longer a little girl. She can take care of herself. She doesn't need me.

__

Yes she does.

No she doesn't. 

__

Keep telling yourself that.

Keep telling myself…I can't keep telling myself anything. I'm caught in the middle of oppressive realism and I still sometimes refuse to believe any of it, so what's the point?

It's been… three days exactly since we argued. Kairi refuses to talk to me. After that night, I tried for hours on end to get into my room. I even went as far as threatening her, but stopped myself before I got so out of hand that she'd be forced to leave. Instead, I slept – or pretended to sleep – on the couch. I wanted her to come out. I wanted her to talk to me. 

But she wouldn't.

She hates me_._

__

No she doesn't. Just because she doesn't want you breathing down her neck all the time doesn't mean she hates you. 

Once again, the voice in my head is right. 

Feeling bereft, I left the apartment. It seemed even Keiko was on Kairi's side; I was feeling, as amazing as it seems, suddenly _lonely_. Living nearly a month with a person other than myself seemed to change me, if even in the slightest. 

__

Bloodshed would do me good. 

I retrieved my two swords from beside the couch. After stealing one last look at my locked bedroom door, I exited the small condo, glaring ahead of me at nothing in particular. I shut the door loudly behind me, locked it, and pocketed the keys before walking quickly down the flights of stairs. I left the building and strode quietly down the street. 

It had begun to rain as the gates of Pareja slowly came into view. 

They swished open gently and then closed behind me. With rain comes Heartless; I was in luck. One step… two steps… three steps… and they emerged from the ground, forming into their small frames. I drew the two swords and crossed them in front of me, forming the 'x' that signaled the beginning of the battle. 

__

Time to think.

I turned around and back flipped as a half dozen lunged. In mid-flip, sword met beast all at once. Even more came charging forward. Parrying a blow to the head, I jumped into the air; four Heartless ran into each other, disappearing only a second later in a cloud of black smoke. Touching down with a thud, I headed at a slant for more. 

__

I'll just apologize to her. She can't stay silent forever.

__

Or maybe she can. She's been alone for four years. 

I backed up and charged, blades raised. More were vanquished with the blow. 

__

It's not that hard. Changing your act isn't as tough. Just apologize and promise not to be her shadow twenty-four/seven. 

I wasn't going to let any one of them out of my sight. Dealing more blows by the second, I secretly hoped there would be more…perhaps something else to fight other than the easy and common Shadows. 

Unfortunately, I got my wish.

As soon as the battle would have been done, three Defenders, five Darkballs, and one Gargoyle sprung to life from the dark depths below, each with a malicious smirk on their grim faces. Their eyes glared as I stepped forward, straightening. 

__

This is going to be fun.

The Gargoyle swooped down upon me, and I jumped narrowly to avoid its swiping claws. It flew into the wall behind me before angrily getting up. I waited patiently until it came flying back. When it was just above my head, I thrust both swords up, throwing the flying Heartless from the sky. Injured, it squawked to the other monsters, which surprisingly had stood watching its comrade fail. The Defenders surged forward, their dog-headed shields nipping at me as I back flipped out of the way. I landed on the wall and kicked off immediately as one Defender charged toward it. 

Landing in-between the Defenders, the Gargoyle, and the Darkballs, I quickly contemplated a strategy. The Defenders have shields, the Gargoyle's injured, and the Darkballs are balloons. 

__

This'll take a while.

Smirking, I ran at an angle toward the hurt Gargoyle. Thrusting the silver blades into it once again, I hurriedly swung it toward the Defenders before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 

__

Cloud…of…smoke…

It momentarily stunned them as I ran forward, easily seeking them out and stabbing them one by one, their shields unblocking my way. When the smoke cleared, I sprinted toward the Darkballs, evading each attack they tried and destroying them quickly. 

Panting, I stayed in my final fighting position for a long moment, sweat mingling with rainwater, the taste of salt heavy on my tongue. Finally, I stood, brushing at the cloak that stuck to my body in the rain. Replacing the swords at my side, I turned, walking toward the Item Shop. This Hell owed me a few nights' work. 

I walked in, grabbing numerous food items as well as medical aid. I brought the pile to the counter and nodded towards the man. He turned, opening a tin box and rummaging before swerving back and handing me some Gil. He nodded back and I stuffed the many items as well as currency into whatever pockets the cloak held. Hurriedly, I left the shop, feeling a tinge of urgency. 

The gates opened once again, and then closed when I left the city. Now I was faced with confronting Kairi. Why was I suddenly so nervous? She was my best friend. All it took was an apology and a promise. But, as I've said before, four years can change a person. Maybe Kairi won't be so forgiving. Perhaps she's already left, feeling I can no longer be trusted. 

__

No…she wouldn't.

__

You don't know that.

I walked for a while, not knowing where my feet were carrying me, and in some way, not really caring. But I soon found myself at my building. I pulled the keys from one pocket and thrust the first one in. The barred glass door was pushed open and I absently closed it after me and walked up the stairs. It was still raining and I still didn't trust the elevator. Finally coming to my floor, I walked casually towards my room, pushing another key into the door and locking it safely behind me. 

I removed the cloak and laid it on the couch before removing my black t-shirt and throwing that on the floor. Retrieving another shirt from the small chest at the back of the main room, I pulled it on and took the items of food and Medicaid out of the cloak. I put them in their rightful places before walking straight to my bedroom. Feeling only a bit nervous for some unknown reason, I jiggled the knob.

__

She's still locked in.

I sighed and knocked. "Kairi, if you're still in there, come out. We need to talk." 

And the most remarkable thing happened. 

__

She opened the door.

Looking tired and red-eyed, she didn't smile, nor did she greet me in any way. Instead, her face was voice of any emotion, which I wouldn't have found surprising had she been anyone else in this Hellhole. 

I gazed at her, mouth opened slightly, before she spoke. "What do you want?" I was struck for a second by the harsh way she said it. But I was back to my regular self in so much as a blink. 

"Kairi, I'm…I'm sorry." She stared straight into the iced orbs I called my eyes before her nod told me to continue. "I know you've been able to take care of yourself for four years, and I realize I don't have to look after you like a little girl all the time. You don't need me." Her eyes fell. 

Silence.

"It's not that I don't need you," she said suddenly, grasping her hands tightly. "Of course I need you. You're my best friend. I just don't want you _watching_ me every second. Don't you trust me to take care of myself, Riku?" I nodded, my eyes unwavering. 

"Yes, I do, Kairi." Her eyes were wiped blank.

"Then why do you act as though I'm a fourteen - year - old weakling? I'm eighteen. I've lasted long enough without you." She paused. "You're just going to have to trust me, okay? Without trust, we cannot have understanding. And we need understanding if we're going to survive in Nihility." 

"I know. Believe me, I know." I stopped for a second. "I just…don't want to lose you again. I can't let that happen." She let out a long breath, raising one small pale hand to her chest. 

"You won't, Riku. You've trained me for nearly a month, and I'm sure I can take care of myself. You won't lose me because I won't let you." She attempted a small smile. "Just promise me that you won't breathe down my neck anymore, okay?" 

__

Ha, a voice laughed. _I was right._

__

Shut up.

__

I think I could get used to saying, 'Told ya so.'

__

Didn't I just say shut up?

I stared at her again for a long time before she shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. I smirked and nodded. "Promise." Her smile went wider only a slight bit but then it disappeared. 

"And I'm sorry for acting like a real bitch. This isn't even my home, and I locked you out of it." Her eyes fell to the floor again. That's when I noticed Keiko sitting obediently at the entry to the bedroom, her multi-colored eyes locked on Kairi and I. 

I snorted, pulling my gaze away from the feline. "You? A bitch? Yeah right, Kairi. It was my fault in the first place. You have nothing to apologize for." I paused, looking down at her again. "Except for the fact that you're training was halted." She looked up, frowning. 

"Actually, it wasn't." She walked towards the couch and sat; I followed, eyeing her suspiciously. "I tried to train in your room, but it was too small. So…" She looked up nervously, twiddling with her thumbs. "So, when you were away…I'd go out to our usual spot and train," she finished quickly. I glared at her. 

"You did what?" I asked slowly, annoyed. She glared back, throwing her hands up. 

"See? That's exactly what I mean! You don't trust me! You don't care that I can take care of myself. You always have to be by my side, thinking I'll just keel over and die if you don't!" she yelled, pointing accusingly at me. I wasn't taking this shit. I stood, towering over her short form. 

"You could've gotten hurt, Kairi! What would've happened if you were ambushed by Heartless? What if someone decided to try and kill you? And I wasn't there to help?" She didn't flinch.

"Riku, listen to yourself! Five minutes ago, you promised to stop being my babysitter. And now you're telling me what to do! Please," she pleaded, her yells dying down. "Just give me a chance. Stop being my shadow and listen to me. I've been able to live for four years without you. Do you need any more proof?" I sat back down, my head falling to my hands, elbows resting shakily on my knees. 

"I'm sorry. I do trust you." A pause. "This time I won't break my promise." I looked up again. She smiled shakily, nodding. 

"I know you're one to keep your promises." She sat down, staring hesitantly into my eyes, as though knowing something about me even I didn't know. Then, she did something I didn't think she had the willpower to do.

She awkwardly leaned forward and hugged me. 

Even though it was only quick, I knew it signaled the beginning of some kind of new silent respect between the two of us. Perhaps, with time, it would lead to something more. 


	9. Gloves of the Girl

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Chapter IX

Gloves of the Girl

Point of View: Riku

****

Written by: Aniiston (9th chapter)

It was raining...Raining ever so hard...The water slashing at my back as though it were simply a whip; a thousand daggers consuming my flesh, gnawing away at my precious pale skin, drenching my silver hair and black attire. How funny it can seem when only the rain is your enemy. The water that nourishes the ground from the Heavens has come to drown me, rip my flesh and eat my bones. Droplets fall easily, contrasting with the never-showing sun. Always dark, and always dim. Always cold, and always dead.

Kairi leaped into the air, the hood of her jacket falling behind and thrust out her foot, drawing the other back and shooting forward. A clean cut and she fell to the ground, diving into a roll and leaping up, her arms in a blocking position. She turned to me, her eyes expectant, waiting for me to decide. Decide if she had mastered the move to my expectancy. Slowly I let down my hood, the rain soaking me once again, and nodded. She smiled.

Today marked the first week of the second month Kairi had been training under my guidance. Not only had she improved in balance, posture and poise, not to mention agility, but she looked healthier and stronger. She now held herself higher, rather than wrapped in her own embrace, and her personality had become somewhat disciplined and confident. Indeed she had come far, but in my eyes, she had so much more to do...

The rain beat harder as my thoughts deepened, causing my brow to crease. It had been a week since Kairi's argument with me, as well as my promise. I was sincerely trying my best to keep that promise; that promise to allow her independence. But it was _hard_. One might think that after four years of being isolated from truly living people, I wouldn't care if Kairi was troubled, let alone hurt. It's quite the contrary, actually. I believe because I had longed to see Kairi for so long, having her now in my grasp means that I cannot let her go. And if I do, even for a moment, the chances of her being killed...are immense...I don't suppose I could live with myself. 

Coughing slightly, I glanced at my watch through the rain, straining my eyes to see the simple time. 2:30. I sighed, wiping the water from my face. Today seemed long and endless, as though it were trying hard to stop the night from coming, but that was like trying to stop the inevitable. And everyone knows you like stop change. As a matter of speaking that is. Yawning, I stretched out my arms, hearing cracking of the joints, and sat down.

I glanced at Kairi. She was practicing her rolling techniques as I had instructed her to do. She would back away and then sprint full power towards the ground, curving her body and diving downward. Rolling her form, she leapt up for a final time, throwing up her guard and steadying her stance. I smirked. _She had truly gotten better._ Kairi began walking towards her starting line, her body covered in rain, her hair slick down. She turned away, taking a breath, and began running again. She dived at the ground and executed another roll.

_Good, Kairi_, I thought, running my hands along my silver hair. I looked at my watch again and realized I had something to do. Something to order, more or less likely. Coughing again and wiping the water from my face, I moved towards her, my footfalls as light as a feather and my movements as quiet as a mouse. I ran behind her, jumping into the air, my fists raised. She turned around and let out a small scream, quickly shutting her eyes. I landed softly, a frown upon my face and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Calm down," I whispered, my voice nearly inaudible against the rain. "You still need more training... By this time next month you should be able to block that attack." I saw her face fall slightly and her head bow. "Kairi, you're doing _wonderfully_. You just need more practice, that's all, okay?" She looked up at me, smiling and replied with a soft "Okay, Riku."

"So, what would you like me to do next?" she asked and jumped back, her fists raised. "Are we going to spar?"

I smiled slightly. "No, not yet. I need to make a trip down to Pareja real fast. I want you to come with me, though. You think you could take a break from training for about 20 or so minutes?" I smirked as I saw her grin.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, her hands clasped together. 

I nodded, turning away and stopping. Keiko sat in front of me, her blue eyes shining into mine. I glared and shoved her aside with my foot, continuing my walk. "She's not coming, Kairi." I echoed, and Kairi halted in her actions, for she was seconds away from embracing the cat into her arms, bringing her along. I heard the kitten cry out, and Kairi's voice was sympathetic. 

"I'm sorry, Keiko," she said softly, patting the ball of fur on the head, "but you can't come. Maybe next time, eh?"

"No," I said bluntly, my voice echoing from building to building, making myself heard. Kairi sighed, explaining to the young kitten to wait in the alley. She stood up, the rain still pouring onto her, and ran to catch up with me, for I was far ahead in our small journey.

It did not take long to arrive at the Gates of Pareja; 10 minutes at the most. The large bars of iron swung open obediently, greeting us in a vile way. I scoffed, walking past without a word and Kairi following me, her form straight and eyes narrow. As we walked through, no Heartless came to introduce themselves. I scowled again, for a day of rain with no Heartless was never a good thing. Kairi, too, seemed evidently baffled, though continued walking.

The streets were bare and glossy, only a few carriages daring to be on the roads in such weather. I ignored them, walking towards yet another gate. It opened at my touch and we walked in, neon lights serving as a guide. Up and across we went only stopping as a wobbly staircase came into view. I ascended it, as did Kairi and we were greeted again by a number of glossy streets. Walking across the assaulted ground, a small Gothic shop came into view.

Opening the door, light filled our eyes, for fireplaces were on every wall. The warmth felt nice against my cold skin and I willingly removed my coat, hanging it on a nearby rack and moving forward. The shop was different from all other shops in this district, for it lacked the neon appearance that everything else took on. Its walls were done with pictures of different weapons, and cases and cases of models sat all over the shop. My footsteps were light against the wooden floor.

"Hey, Kairi, come here real quick," I said, catching Kairi's attention. She came to me, a questioning look upon her face. "Hold out your hand." My best friend did as she was told, holding out her single fair hand, and I placed my hand against it. My hand alone towered over hers and I pulled away. "Thanks." Walking over to the counter that had multiple fireplaces behind it, I signaled for the weapons smith to come to me.

He did.

I explained to him the weapon I wanted made, and he nodded at me, gathering multiple items around himself and walking to a fireplace. I turned away, facing Kairi who seemed interested in a nearby case of weapons. "You like any of those?" I asked, staring into the glass case.

"These weapons are so strong...How can anyone use them?" Kairi asked, pointing to multiple gloves and daggers.

"It takes a Hell of a lot of practice."

"Yeah, I bet..." Kairi muttered, squatting down to look at further weapons. 

Gloves of different types sat neatly organized in the glass case, each one of different use. I turned away, uninterested and moved towards a case in the far left corner; a case of simply swords. Multiple short and broad swords hung from the hooks, each one lying by its sheath, its teeth gleaming. I snorted and sat into a nearby chair, waiting for the smith to call me. 

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, thinking of the past and—

_Meow.._.

My eyes shot open and I stood to my feet, looking around the room. Kairi jumped slightly, nearly dropping a catalog to the floor and stared at me, eyes confused. Carefully, she folded the book and sat it back down, turning to me. "What's the matter, Riku?"

"What is Keiko doing here? I thought I said not to bring her!"

Kairi looked at me oddly and turned to where I was pointing. Her eyes widened and brow creased. Keiko sat, her tail curled promptly around herself, by the door, a cat-like grin lay across her white face. Kairi immediately turned back to me, speaking quickly, "I didn't bring her, I swear!" She turned back to Keiko. "Keiko..." she mumbled dropping to her knees, picking the warm kitten up. "I told you to stay put."

The kitten meowed.

"See, the thing doesn't even listen to you!" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Can't we just get rid of it?"

Kairi scowled. "No!"

I sighed. "That thing's more trouble than it's worth..."

"Sir?"

Both Kairi and I turned to the smith behind the counter. His voice was barely audible and it was clear he hadn't spoken in many years. I walked to him, momentarily forgetting about Keiko and listened closer to the guy. "W-would..." the smith stopped, trying his best to talk, "you like...engravings upon it?"

"On the backside only. Thanks."

The elderly man nodded, slowly turning away and stumbling back to his chosen fireplace. I faced Kairi, eyeing the cat skeptically, and after glaring daggers into its soul for a few moments, decided to sit down. But it was a wasted action, for soon the aged benevolence had returned, the weapon I specified in hand. Standing, I walked to him, placing the currency upon the counter and nodding.

The man nodded back, placing the Gil into a jar. I walked over to a rack and grabbed my coat, slipping it onto my body.

"Try these on," I said to Kairi, handing her the gloves.

She gasped. The gloves were fingerless and black, two strips of metal crossing over the knuckles, engravings of symbols lay on the side. Slipping them on, I found my calculations to be correct, for they fitted Kairi perfectly. "Are they...?"

"Yeah, they're for you."

Her grin widened and she took my hand, shaking it multiple times, jumping slightly off the ground. "Thank you so much, Riku! Thank you!"

I think I _blushed_. Clearing my throat slightly, I looked away from her gaze to the floor. "Well, you'll need them for your first session in fighting fiends." I felt the shaking of my hand stop, and when I turned to her, the grin upon her face had only grown bigger.

"Are you sure, Riku? You think I'm ready?"

I nodded.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, her bright eyes twinkling. Her hands turned into fists and she stepped back, her smile still remaining. I walked beside her, as did Keiko and together we made our way out of the old shop and across the glossy streets. As we neared the staircase, I began walking slower, for the rain had lightened up and was now a mere drizzle. We descended and continued to make our way to the gates, crossing streets and evading cars. 

We at last we neared the heart of the city, I stopped, placing a hand in front of Kairi. "The first thing you need to know is to _never_ think you've killed the enemy. They're _always _alive, Kairi. Even after you've seen them die. Always keep your guard up, don't let it fall and keep your eyes sharp, looking for anything moving, okay?'

She nodded.

"Then here we go." I moved forward, Kairi close at my side, towards the center of the street. Empty it was, and almost instantly did Heartless appear, their glistening eyes golden and their bodies as black as the night. I revealed my short swords from my coat, the silver flashing against the gold. They glimmered and they glared. "Fighting position, Kairi. And _relax_," I said, noticing my best friend's tense form. 

Kairi nodded, taking a breath, and threw her arms into the air, guarding her face and ribs. At once the Heartless charged for me, their mouths watering for my heart. Easily I dodged the first, slicing it in two, and mutilated the second, watching it fall to the ground in pieces. "Your turn, Kairi." I turned back to take a quick look at my friend to see her completely frozen, a Heartless racing towards her.

"Riku..." she whispered, though her voice had utterly stopped.

"Kairi!" I yelled fiercely, causing her to snap out of the trance of shock. "Hurry up! Fighting position, now!" Kairi fixed her stance, relaxing slightly. The raven Heartless charged at her, its fangs showing sharply and leaped into the air, aiming for the young female.

Kairi reacted instantly, jumping into the air as well, meeting the Heartless. She spun around, thrusting her foot into its face. Both fell to the ground. Kairi landed in a crouching position as she watched her foe smash into the pavement. She leaped forward, unleashing several different combos in a row, smashing her enemy as well as two others at once.

She turned to me, a smirk upon her face and stepped back with her left foot, sweeping her arm in front of her and bowing with sarcasm. I had to admit it, but she did pretty well. Rewarding her with a rare smile, I swept my hand in back of me, the other in front, and bowed back to her. _Good job_, _Kairi..._

"Riku!" she screamed, pointing towards something behind me. Without thinking, I turned around and killed the many Heartless in front of me, watching as the their mutilated bodies bled under the dying mist. Seeing as the foes had been wiped out, I turned around.

My eyes widened. 

__

Thousands of Heartless stood in front of me, all of them different species and different expressions. Kairi was at my side, a worried pout glued to her face and locked her eyes with mine. "What do we do?!"

My eyes still wide, I took in the thousands of Heartless now standing around us, each one ready to attack. I now understood where they had been when I was here earlier: retrieving more of their 'friends' to ambush me. Damn, why did I have to bring Kairi today? I took a breath, my heart racing and turned to my friend. With a low voice, I whispered to her, "I'm going to clear a path for you. Run to the gate and leave. Don't look back. Do you understand?"

"I'm not leaving you!" she cried, moving closer to me.

"Yes you are..." I gritted between my teeth, the grip on my blades becoming tighter. "Ready..." I jumped forward. "Go!" At once I began slaughtering Heartless, limbs and heads being tossed everywhere, blood splattering to the streets. But Kairi never ran to the gate, trying to get home as I had instructed her to do. No, instead she stood by my side, trying her best to kill off the load of Heartless.

I stabbed the blade of my left weapon into a Heartless' neck, taking my right weapon and throwing it. The blade struck through two Heartless' standing directly behind one another, and Kairi ran to retrieve it for me. With the one blade I had left, I slashed a remaining Heartless in the eyes and stabbed another through the chin. The two fell to the ground.

"Riku!"

I turned around in time to see Kairi running with my blade in hand. She threw it to me and I caught it easily and began my on slaughter of another batch once again.

_Another throat slit, a set of eyes mutilated, a limb cut off..._

The numerous Heartless were throwing themselves at me one by one. Soon I could see the batch die down by a half, and, with my energy almost gone, I began fighting again. Kairi tried her best in killing them off and she did succeed in helping me quite a bit. She threw her fists into the air, badgering foes one by one, flipping them over her back and kicking them straight to the head. 

And when at last the final Heartless was killed, I fell to my knees, breathing hard, sweat pouring down my face and body. Kairi fell beside me in a similar fashion, her breathing quick and strong. She wiped the sweat from her eyes and brow, looking at me.

I smirked weakly, gripping the infinite wounds in my sides, blood gushing thick like honey. "Nice, Kai. You'll be a fighter yet..." I tried to pull myself from the sticky ground and when I finally succeeded, felt a brutal hand shove me backwards. Hitting the ground with a thud, I glared at my attacker. My eyes narrowed.

At least twenty Heartless surrounded us, their sharp claws gleaming...their eyes wicked.

I took a breath...

And let my body rest...

For I could no longer fight...

I was...

Too weak...

"Get up, Riku," a voice rang throughout my ears. Slashing was heard, as well as terrible cries of wounded Heartless. I could smell fresh blood... 

Opening my eyes, I peered into the eyes of a woman...a young woman with the most haunting blue eyes I had ever seen...One dark blue, the other light blue...She smirked down at my form, her white-blonde hair falling in her face. She gripped the collar of my shirt and pulled me to my feet, throwing me back slightly. I stumbled, catching my balance at the last moment and slowly looked back into the face of the woman...

"So," she said, that smirk still upon her face. "You want to skin and eat me now?"

My hands went to my head as I tried to make everything stop spinning...My vision was so blurry...I coughed a bit. Blinking multiple times, my eyesight focused slightly and I gazed at the person...and realized...

It was Keiko...

That damn cat...

Was....

Human?

She was a _human being_ this entire time and never showed herself? Never revealed who she really was...?

I coughed harder, causing my wounds to hurt greatly and my vision to become blurry again. And I could no longer take it anymore, and I fell to my knees and ultimately to the ground, losing consciousness.


	10. Never Hurt to Try

__

Chapter X

Never Hurt To Try

Point of View: Riku

****

Written by: Jayde (10th Chapter)

__

Pain… Excruciating pain…

I can't think…can't breathe…can't see…

__

Am I even…alive?

"…What happened?" I heard myself groan. Slowly, I opened one eye…then the other. Everything was blurry…an abyss of Picasso colors. Then all was clear as the events flashed in my head. 

"You were nearly killed by the Heartless, idiot," a feminine voice answered me. I sat up slowly, realizing I was in my own apartment…my own room…my own bed…But I wasn't alone. 

"Where's Kairi?" I grasped my throat, for it felt as though I had lost my hollow voice. 

A form so familiar walked out from the shadows—she left enough evidence to show that she was not the only one hiding. 

"I'm right here, Riku," said Kairi soothingly. She walked over to me, and in the limited light I could see her face; it was stark white, whiter than her usual color, and her eyes still held the fear and surprise from when the Heartless appeared. "I'm okay. Are you?"

I stared at her for a moment.

"Yeah, I am," I lied. I looked back toward the shadows, where the figure still had not moved. I pointed to it. "Keiko." Finally, the shadow shifted into the light. 

"Wow, you finally said something smart. Anything else you need to note?" she said sardonically. I squinted to make out her features. Pale skin – a familiarity with all residents of Nihility – and light blond hair done up in a messy bun, with uneven bangs falling into her two-colored eyes. 

__

Light blue and dark blue.

I stared at the woman, my eyes hellish slits, her unorthodox attire catching to the gaze. She was tall, her clothing, unfitting for a person of Pareja. Her black shoulder baring top and equally shapeless raven pants continued as her facade as an authentic citizen, a leather belt, or shall I say many belts, adding to her accouterments. I snorted. 

Wench.

"What…I mean…why…?" I couldn't get the words out. Keiko smirked, a hand meeting her hip. 

"Like I said, you want to skin and eat me now?" She fiddled with the lacy black choker that lay around her neck. 

I growled, narrowing my eyes. 

"What happened?" I asked, staring at the wench. 

"Well," the pale-skinned woman began, stretching the word to a climax. "You thought Kairi was ready to take on the Heartless, but you didn't know what day it was!"

"And just what day _is_ it?" 

"Four years ago today, you walked into the city and started slaughtering the Heartless two by two by two," Keiko answered in a slight singsong voice, swaying her hands and hips along the tone. 

"How would they remember that?" Kairi asked in slight awe. Keiko turned to her. 

"Just because they don't seem smart doesn't mean they aren't. Believe me, they remembered, and decided to have a little reunion. At least," she paused. "That's what I think." 

"And you decided to play hero by suddenly appearing today, huh? You knew and you didn't even warn us or anything?" I asked angrily, glaring. 

Keiko put her hands up in mock-defense. "Hey, hey, it's not like I had much of a choice now." 

__

I'm going to kill her.

"Why, after all this time, haven't you told us you were human?" 

Keiko rolled her eyes. 

"Because I couldn't, asshole. I never had enough energy to make the transformation until I went looking for it myself, and then I found you. After that, I decided I only wanted to become human when I was needed." 

Kairi turned to her. 

"But…why couldn't you do it until Riku came?"

She smirked again, this time in a teasingly triumphant manner that in every way made me fume. "Because Riku had enough energy to boost my own. By living with him for a week, I was able to absorb some." 

"You stole my energy?" I asked, never removing my glare. 

Keiko shrugged and nodded at the same time. 

"I wouldn't say 'stole' is the right word. I'm looking for more of a 'borrowing without asking' type of thing." 

__

I am definitely going to kill her. 

"You little…I knew from the start you were just a stupid furball." I rose from the bed. Even though I was quite dizzy, I was able to make out Keiko's face. 

Keiko didn't flinch. "Well excuse me for saving your life." 

"Can you change back?" Kairi quickly asked, avoiding a fight that was sure to come. Keiko glanced at her.

"Not for a while. I wasted a lot of energy morphing once into human, then even more when I fought the thousands of Heartless about to feed on this one." She nodded her head once in my direction. 

"Get out," I growled loudly at her, feeling around the side of my bed for my two swords. "Get out. You're trouble. I know it." Keiko looked mock-surprised.

"Now you can't just kick out your rescuer, Riku. I saved yours _and_ Kairi's asses out there, so the least you can do is muster a thanks." She smiled in a sickly sweet way. 

"Thanks, but we didn't need your help. Leave my home now." 

"You _didn't_ need my help? From where I was standing, you sure looked in a heap of trouble." She gazed back innocently. 

"Just leave." 

Kairi tilted her head and spoke, "Unless you'd like to stay with us."

I turned, slightly shocked. 

__

No.

"Kairi, she's not staying," I told her with a glare. "I put up with her as an idiotic cat, I'm not putting up with her as a cynical human." From the corner of my eye, I spotted Keiko biting her tongue, stopping herself from saying whatever retort she had to say. 

"But Riku! She saved our lives! We'd be dead if it wasn't for her." Kairi's eyes narrowed like mine. 

"There's no way, Kairi. No. Possible. Way." 

"I can sleep on the couch, if not the floor," Keiko piped up.

"The couch!" "The floor!" Kairi and I said simultaneously. I glared again at her. 

__

When would she learn? 

"Kairi, it's enough with just the two of us. Why give her any luxuries?" 

"Look, I saved your life. I've been living with you for nearly two months. Why should now be any different?" Keiko's arms folded easily across her chest. 

"Because now you're human. We don't have enough room. This place is too small and not fit for the likes of you!"

"The likes of me!? The likes of your savior! You should be thankful!" 

I snorted as Kairi looked from me to Keiko, suddenly looking quite helpless.

"Thankful? How the hell can I be thankful? You lied to Kairi for four years, and you lied to me for two months. How are we supposed to trust you?"

"Can I get a word in…?" Kairi whispered nervously, only to be cut off by Keiko. 

"Did I do anything but save Kairi during that time? Huh? Did I, Riku?" 

"You mean…you saved her when…?" Keiko nodded, face set in an 'I-told-you-so' manner. 

"Yes, that was me, Riku. I saved your precious best friend. I was the one who kept her alive, not you, so you owe me a lot." She paused, panting. "I should at least get to stay here." 

I sighed, one hand to my temple. This was giving me a headache.

"All right, dammit. You can stay. But one foot out of line, and you can sleep on the streets for all I care."

"Riku!" Kairi hissed from beside me. Keiko simply shrugged.

"Whatever, boss." She walked out of the room, and I imagined her sitting on the couch. 

"Riku," Kairi grumbled dangerously again once we were alone in the bedroom. "What is with you and that attitude?" Two fists positioned themselves on her hips. 

"We didn't need her. She didn't have to save us. I had everything under control." A lie, of course. A very big one, and even I knew it. Sighing, I resorted to something else. 

"I couldn't stand her as a cat, and I can't stand her as a human. How are we supposed to trust her when she didn't give us the slightest clue that she _was_ human?" 

Kairi sighed exasperatedly.

"Clue? You want even more clues? She saved me in the hallway, she brought me money and food for four years, she went to you, then led you to me, I mean…God, Riku, how many more clues do you want?" With that, she stalked out of the room, leaving me standing. 

__

Could women get any more complicated? 

After some while, I began to feel slightly guilty – but only _slightly_. I knew I had no right to be mad or angry, so I slowly rose from the bed I had positioned myself on. Running a hand through my silver hair, I exited the room. Kairi and Keiko were sitting on the couch, talking animatedly as though they had been friends since birth. 

Keiko noticed my presence.

"Glad to see you've finally decided to join us," she said, closing her eyes to suppress rolling them. Her hands grasped a brown mug, one of the two that were in my kitchen cabinet. 

I glared in response as Kairi turned.

"Riku…" she said warily. I nodded, losing the glare. 

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. 

"Er…" Keiko looked at me nervously. "Kairi forgives you, just don't apologize in front of me anymore. It's scary." 

Kairi snorted into her mug. 

I shrugged, standing behind the couch. "Fine with me." 

Suddenly a thought occurred to me. 

"Is Keiko your real name?" I asked her, remembering the fact that it was Kairi who named her as a kitten. The corners of Keiko's mouth twitched as she looked at Kairi. 

"Yes…yes, it is. I'm Keiko Chinyere, a martial artist given the power to become a baby feline at will," she responded proudly. 

This time, _I_ snorted, and was rewarded with two girls narrowing their eyes in my direction. 

"What?" 

A long silence followed. 

"Keiko knows of a way out of Nihility," Kairi suddenly whispered, changing the previous subject completely. Keiko looked at her, a slightly surprised look on her face. 

"I never said I knew a way out," Keiko claimed. "I just said there was a myth about it." 

"A myth?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. I had long since gotten over the feeling, but with the topic getting off of Nihility, I was suddenly quite interested. "What kind of myth?"

Keiko smirked. 

"Well, it's said that a group of people wished to leave Nihility so much that they searched for a way out. They traveled many days and many nights before finally finding the door that would lead them away from this wretched place." Keiko paused, sighing. "They all died," she stopped again, looking from me to Kairi, then back. "Except for one.

"They say he is the only one who knows the horrors of what happened that fateful night, and that he is the only one who knows what you must face to leave Nihility. Of course, all of this is just a myth." The blonde smiled in a devilish way. "So how can any of it be true?" 

"What do you mean by 'they say'? I thought everyone in Nihility couldn't talk?" I asked.

"That's only in Pareja. And it's not that they can't talk. It's that they refuse to talk," Kairi answered me. I stayed quiet. 

"How would we find him?" I inquired. Keiko shrugged. 

"Like I should know. It's a myth, you moron. Myth equals not true. So don't get any ideas." She laughed grimly. "Besides, we'd have to think of a way to leave Pareja first. I've tried to get away numerous times, but each attempt ends in complete failure." 

I clenched and unclenched my teeth, while doing the same with my fists. 

__

She'd better stop calling me idiot_ and _moron_ if she wants to live._

__

But you can't. She saved your life. Aha, that annoying voice again. How I hated it so. 

"Caige!" Kairi exclaimed. "Caige lives in the mirrors. He said something about dwelling in them. If he could live in a mirror, then there's got to be a way out." 

"Yeah, walk through a mirror into another village!" Keiko agreed _sarcastically_. "Oh but wait, I forgot, we're not mirror dwellers. We can't do that." Causticity. 

Kairi sighed in a sort of defeated way before putting a hand to her head, thinking. 

"But you know," the woman opposite her said. "It may work. It never hurt to try, did it?" 

I inwardly flinched at this. 

__

Yes, it did hurt to try. 


	11. Dwelling In The Mirrors

Chapter XI

_Dwelling in the Mirrors_

_Point of View: Riku_

**Written by: Aniiston (11th chapter)**

            She thrust her body from the ground, soaring through the heavy atmosphere, the lightness of her weight giving her simple results. Kicking out her right leg and pulling back her left, the jump-through sidekick was executed perfectly. The woman, who's blood red hair glistened in the neon lights, landed with a soft thud, and she rolled herself into a ball, diving to the metal ground. In a swift leap, she was upon her feet again, a triumphant smile greeting my eyes.

            I nodded at Kairi, instructing her to repeat the move again, though to add a front flip onto the ending. She replied back with a simple 'yes' and stretched out her pale arms, pulling her dangling hair into a ponytail. She began performing the move again, though this time with the additions I had added.  Leaning back against a nearby wall, I continued to stare at my friend, watching her body move in such a rapid manner. 

            Upon her fists she wore the gloves I had specially made for her by a weapons' smith. The gloves, though simply dull in its entire manner, were powerful and would aid Kairi well, teaching her silently the art of technique and speed she must learn alone. Two weeks hence she has received those gloves, and her training has seemed to improve by an entire foot. I believe her having some sort of 'weapon' one could say, gave her a boost of confidence. 

            She landed perfectly again, rolling forward and vaulting to her feet, a front hand spring as the finishing touch. The wind sang a hymn past her body and out of the building; she shivered. A blur rushed past me, and I saw that it was Keiko. I glared. 

            "Riku, why the hell do you make her train so long? I swear, the girl'll freeze to death before she ever learns anything!"

            I rolled my eyes, ignoring Keiko's comments and walked to Kairi, glancing at my watch. "Okay, you'll be learning a new combination today, alright?" Kairi nodded as she listened to my voice. "It's not immensely difficult and you've learned half of it before, so memorizing it quickly is your only option." I walked past Kairi, shedding my coat, revealing my muscular arms. 

I heard Keiko whistle mockingly.

I tried to ignore her.  I began running, leaping into the air, a jump-in sidekick as my focus and hit the ground. I flipped backwards, readying my fighting stance once again and cross-jabbed twice to the imaginary foe, adding an uppercut to the chin and slamming my knee into the stomach. Fading back, guard still up, I glanced back at Kairi.

"What was _that_?" Keiko asked, an eyebrow raised, hands glued to hips.

"It's called her combination, cat."

"No, that's called 'play-time'. Kairi's not five, she can handle more than that!"

"I can?" Kairi asked, barely audible, as Keiko and I shot daggers at one another. I walked forward, as did she, and the two of us stopped, our eyes set in a glare. 

_Silence..._

"Well, what the Hell do you propose I do?!" I yelled angrily.

"Show her something more complex than that crap!"

"Oh really?! Listen, cat, I've been training her for a month and three weeks! I think I'd know what she ought to learn and what not to!"

Keiko glared, though shut her mouth and crossed her arms as defeat swarmed her eyes. I smirked smugly at her and turned back to Kairi, explaining to her the move I had performed. She nodded nervously as she watched the two of us and slowly turned away, starting in a run. I glanced at my watch again. _5:50p.m_. 

For the next remaining hours I had Kairi do simple drills such as sit-ups and push-ups, the normal routine of an apprentice in training. With Keiko making smaller comments than usual, the rest of the day past by in a normal fashion, and I couldn't help but feel thankful as the day came to an end. I stretched out my arms and yawned, though the ghost of my insomnia still haunted my mind.

We came to my apartment building and unlocked the glass door, flipping my keys back into the pocket of my coat. We slid inside, the door firmly shutting behind us, and made our way up the stairs, for the small elevator no longer worked. Step after step we walked, though this was nothing to Kairi's old building. When at last we reach my chambers, I again unlocked the door, allowing Keiko and Kairi to walk ahead of me. Locking up again, I turned to the two.

Kairi seemed exhausted beyond her normal boundary of tiredness and she immediately went to the coach, flopping down upon it. I had wondered if she would be hungry, for the only morsel of food she had eaten today was a good 5 hours ago. But as I looked back at the woman, I found her to be asleep, Keiko by her side, her knees folded against her chest. Kairi and Keiko...the two women living in my life...

Too bad I _hated_ one of them. 

Yawning, I grabbed a spare blanket that Keiko had brought and threw it over their bodies, not bothering to actually check if it had landed on their freezing skin. But my aim was good and it had. Walking into the small room I called a kitchen, I grabbed a glass and poured water into it, gulping it down without a second thought. I filled it again and took another swig. When I had satisfied my quenching thirst, I retreated back to my room.

My weapons lay scattered about it, and I carefully tossed the knife objects off. I fell onto the bed and turned my body, staring up at the ceiling. The simple white...gray ceiling...My eyes felt heavy and I realized I felt tired. What an odd change. I glanced at the clock to see that it read 10:00p.m. And suddenly I was no longer tired. _Okay...I sat up, grabbing my weapons that lay beside me._

These short shorts were the only weapons I had and the only weapons I could use. Martial arts never really suited my forte, though accompanying these items, I suppose it did come in handy once in a while. But they were getting old...I was going to be forced to buy a new pair sooner or later, or try and synthesize something. But for some reason, I had grown close to these scraps of metal... 

The night passed by and I eventually fell asleep. The morning came dully, with the normal mist rising from the ground and the dewdrops falling upon buildings and items. The sun would be choosing to show itself in a mere 15 minutes, when the clock would hit the 7. But you must remember, the sun does not exist here. If you'll look at my skin, you would see that it is a peachy pale, quite unorthodox from my traditional tanned body four years ago.

I looked away from my hands and pulled the blanket off my body, the cold air nipping at my flesh. I stood and walked to my closet, shedding my clothes and pulling on new ones. A black shirt and blue jeans, one of the only things I had color on. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, stretching out my arms. I shivered. Moving out of the room, I walked into the kitchen, grabbing a small rectangular box of preserved food and threw it in the microwave, pushing the start button. As the machine began its work, I walked into the living room to see Keiko lying upon the couch, sound asleep. Walking closer, I peered down to see that Kairi was nowhere in sight.

"What?!" I whispered and my eyes darted over to the bathroom, though with the door wide open, not a single person lay in it. _She probably just took a walk or something...Or maybe she's just sitting outside? Or maybe..._

"She _is _right. You _are _overprotective." 

I nearly jumped from the floor as Keiko's voice filled my ears. I glanced down at Keiko without much interest to see her staring back up at me, a confused look on her face. She sat up, stretching out her arms and yawning, her blonde hair undone from its former style. Reaching across the glass table that sat by the couch, she grabbed her hair tie from the surface and pulled her hair into a bun.

"Do you know where she is?" I asked, brushing loose strands of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah...She said something about talking to a guy named...Catch...or Kite...or —Caige!" She clapped her hands together. "That's right...Caige was his name. She's going to ask him about...err...mirrors?"

"Not him..." I mumbled, standing up and moving across the room.

"Listen, moron, don't go after her. Don't you remember the promise you made to her?"

I grumbled and fell into a chair. "Yeah..."

She smirked. "Good. Then don't act stupid and stick to it."

I coughed slightly and left to get my meal.

~

Kairi sprinted down the alleyway, trying her best to remember the whereabouts of Caige Cyst, for his house was indeed tricky. She moved past the buildings and homes, past the stairs and shrines until she reached a familiar ladder at which she had climbed almost a month ago. Placing her hand upon the railing, she hoisted herself up, climbing one by one, bar by bar. Pulling herself onto the next building, the recognized the many crates and items that littered the rooftop. No items worth any value continued to reign her and she quickly walked by, hoping to come across the familiar ladder.

Squinting her eyes again, she found no ladder, though continued to waltz across the rooftop in search. She stopped at a building covered in shadows, peering in deeper. Rewarded by the simple sight of the staircase, she ran forward, hoping Caige would be there. Climbing the ladder in a blink of an eye, she was at the top, facing two large doors. She opened them. The room glistened pleasantly of shinning mirrors, and this time it no longer seemed evil, but cheerful. Kairi walked inside, the doors shutting gently behind her.

"Um...Caige?"

No answer.

Kairi moved closer to a mirror, the same mirror Caige had walked out from upon their first meeting, and called again. "Caige?" Her voice echoed through the room, creating a noise larger than Kairi had expected. But nonetheless her wish was granted and soon the blonde haired Caige appeared, a small smile plastered across his face.

"Hey, Kairi. Long time no see." His smile turned to a grin. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you doing?"

"Alright for someone living in this artificial hell." He grimaced at the mentioning of Pareja and brushed back his hair. "So, what brings you around here? Wouldn't think that friend of yours would allow you back."

"Heh...yeah...Sorry about that, Caige. Riku has a tendency to...exaggerate situations."

"It's cool. I suppose I can understand."

Kairi smiled, intertwining her hands nervously.  "Anyway, I was actually wondering—Well, I mean, you live inside the mirrors, right?" Caige nodded. "Is there some sort of town...or home you live in while inside the mirrors?"

Caige looked at the young woman skeptically as he quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Yeah...why?"

Kairi shrugged. "I was just wondering...if there was a way...out of Pareja."

"_Out_?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Well, yeah," Caige rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "but it's just desert and—"

Kairi jumped, her eyes wide, a grin clear on her face. She cried out with happiness. "A way out? A way out of Pareja?" She clapped her hands together, her eyes glimmering. "I never thought I'd hear anyone say that!"

Caige smiled.

Kairi smiled wider. "Caige, do you think we could use your mirrors to leave Pareja? Riku, Keiko and I? Please?"

Caige's smile faded. "Kairi...You can't enter mirrors. You're not a Dweller."

The young woman looked shot. "But can't you take us there?"

Caige shook his head. "Remember when you and I first met? You touched a mirror and it caused you pain? Imagine that on your _entire body. It's fatal for me to try anything." Caige watched as Kairi lowered her eyes to the ground. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he smiled warmly. "There might be a way."_

Kairi's head shot up. "Really?"

He nodded. "You can't pass through the mirrors as you are now, but if you had the necklace..."

Kairi urged Caige to continue.

"Across Pareja is a man who harbors these _Dweller Stones, or __Mirror Amulets. They enable a person to cross through mirrors." Caige whistled. "But they come at a heavy price, plus, getting the man to sell you a couple in the first place is a miracle. You could try telling them I sent you, maybe? Good luck, honestly."_

"What District?"

Caige chewed his lip. "The 9th, I believe."

Kairi nodded, registering the number into her mind. She grinned. "Thank you so much, Caige! I owe you everything!" 

~

I sat in the kitchen, a mug of hot water resting in my cut hands. An hour had past by and Kairi had yet to return from her little journey, though oddly enough I found myself to be quite calm. A feeling had swarmed my brain, explaining silently to me that Kairi was alright, that she was unharmed and remained unharmed. For the first time, I relaxed my tense shoulders, causing them to droop. 

Keiko lay on the couch, the ceiling locking with her eyes, humming to herself. I watched her from the corner of my eye, wondering what she could possibly be humming to in a world such as this. But before my thoughts could wonder to far, the door opened gently and Kairi walked in, a smile upon her face. A wave of relief greeted my heart as Keiko sat up, a smirk on her face.

"I take it your meeting went well?"

She smiled politely. "Well might not be the word for it. But it defiantly was a good meeting." She sat down next to Keiko as I stood, arms crossed over my chest.

"So what'd you find out?"

Kairi sighed. "There is a way out through this village Caige lives in. A desert of some sort."

"Lovely!" Keiko said, folding her hands on her lap. "When do you leave?"

"Well, we technically can't."

"What's the problem?" I asked, becoming interested in the conversation.

"You see, only Dwellers can pass through mirrors. And we're not Dwellers." Kairi paused. "But there is a way. Across the city in the District of the 9th, there is a man who sells these necklaces called 'Dweller Stones' or 'Mirror Amulets'. They allow a person to cross through mirrors!"

I tilted my head slightly. "How do we know this Caige fellow isn't lying to us?"

"Oh, he's not, Riku," Kairi replied, stretching out her arms. "He wants to help us."

"Sure he does," I mumbled.

"Well, let's get going!" Keiko said, standing up. "We should leave now if we're going to have to cross this entire city by foot."

I nodded, as did Kairi.

The three of us quickly grabbed some items, as well as money and stuffed them in our pockets, readying for the 6-hour trip. Kairi and Keiko left the apartment building, me close behind and we truly started our way towards the end of the city. Though skeptical, I kept my eyes glued in front of me, while my mind lingered elsewhere. 

How could we trust Caige? If this were some kind of trick or scam I would surely kill the man with my bare hands. But again, this gut feeling had greeted me for the second time, silently whispering that this was anything but a hoax, that this was truly real. I sighed, unsure of whom I should be listening to, and continued on walking, Kairi and Keiko talking amongst themselves.

An hour passed as we followed the road of buildings and stones, eyes of the silent inhabitants watching us wearily. Their eyes, peeled back by the undying darkness, seemed to glare at us, their sharp weapons smiling evilly. I looked away from their faces, for I had no need to look upon filth such as them, people who could do nothing to alter there future. I suppose I have earned the title as a hypocrite, have I not? 

Another hour passed and I took out my weapons, for I now sensed the presence of nearby Heartless. But to my disappointment, no enemy came near and I realized that this area had not a single fiend in sight. There goes my fun. Walking beside Kairi, I glanced over at her to see she was glancing at the surroundings as well, a look of anxiety spread across her face.

I smirked.

The third hour passed and I was finally rewarded with a swarm of Heartless. The fiends grew from the ground, their golden eyes glaring into my soul. I whipped out my short swords and ran for one, slicing its throat and mutilating its body. Kairi punched a nearby Heartless, unleashing one of her smaller combos upon it, killing it instantly. I looked to Keiko, wondering how well she fought, or if she could even fight at all.

Keiko had begun sprinting towards a ground of Heartless, a satisfied smirk on her face, and leapt into the air, gripping her hands together and bringing them down to the head of the first Heartless. Unleashing a devastating combo, she killed the two remaining Heartless, watching their bodies fall to the ground, their screaming voices echoing into the distance. 

She was good. Better than I had given her credit for. She nodded at Kairi and me, acknowledging us to continue the trivial journey. I began walking without as much as a nod to Keiko. As good a fighter as she was, I still didn't like her much. 

We had multiple encounters of Heartless before we actually reached The District of the 9th, and when we arrived, literally fell to the ground of exhaustion. I took a breath and drank some water, gulping it down in a blink of an eye. I looked around.  Small shops lined the street, a small river-type canal running down the center, a bridge gliding over it.  Flicking lights of dying signs stared into the water. 

"Did this friend of yours actually tell you what part of the 9th District this guy was in?" Keiko asked, annoyed, brushing her sweaty bangs from her face. 

"Eh..." Kairi grinned nervously. "...No."

"Ah, great," I mumbled, sliding to the ground.

"But what about that place over there?" Kairi asked, pointing to a nearby shop across the water. We turned to the shop, our eyes glued to the sign. "_Av's Shop of Mist and Jewels_..." she read aloud, averting her gaze to mine. "What do you think?"

I sighed. "We might as well check it out." The three of us stood to our feet, leaving behind the 5-minute rest we had taken, and began walking across the bridge towards the shadowed shop.  As we neared, I noticed the items displayed in one of the windows. I shivered. Old broken dolls and ancient looking jewelry glared at us, both with shining eyes. The display window opposite held more familiar merchandise, including age-old books and jars of mist, as well as the normal sets of skeleton keys. The door opened with a jingle and the three of us peered inside. 

The shop was dark, and looked as though cleaning had never been set in the master's mind. Though the items and furniture were well organized and neat, the cleanliness had been quite demoted. Dust littered _everything in site; cobwebs hung in the corners. Footsteps of the last visitor could clearly be seen from the layers and layers of grime that lay about the wooden floor. It looked as though a setting of a scrubbed Victorian era had been placed inside a scene of dirt and ashes. _

I stepped in closer, dust rising around my feet. I could feel Kairi bump into me slightly. Keiko's breathing could be heard. "It looks...like not a single person has been here in ages..." I heard Kairi mumble. Glancing over at the fireplace, I noticed something different about it...something...out of place...I moved closer, realizing that it was the only item in this entire shop without a trace of dust on it! 

I neared it closer, moving slowly and reached out my hand. Almost immediately did a bright fire start inside the hearth and I quickly jumped away, taking a silent breath. "What the hell?!" I looked away, glancing back at the others who appeared equally startled. But my eyes soon left theirs, for I found I had become more confused. The entire shop was now clean, not a single layer of dust harboring over any item. It even _smelt clean..._

Because the room was now well lit, it was simple to see it's true personality. An English rug sat in the middle of the store, near the fireplace, two large cushioned chairs of the garnet attire sitting upon it. A neatly carved wooden table sat in the middle, harboring a novel as well as a cup of tea. Bookshelf after bookshelf stood around it, hundreds of novels and analytical pieces inside them. I blinked. This certainly didn't seem the kind of the store to sell amulets...

"Well, I see I have a customer!" a man said, appearing out from the back room. 

I stared at him without much interest. He was a man of the late thirties, his hair being black and his ethnicity being Asian. A white colored shirt with a blue vest riding over it was his attire, along with a set of black pants.  I locked my eyes with the ceiling, crossing my arms. "Are you the owner of this shop?"

"Why yes I am!" he said almost too kindly. I shot him a look before uncrossing my arms.

"I was told that someone in this district sells items by the title of Mirror Amulet or Dweller Stone. You happen to be that person?" 

The man stared at me for a minute, looking gently skeptical and then smiled warmly. "Yes, I happen to be that gentleman. How can I help you, sir?"

I coughed slightly, looking away. "I was wondering if you might have some left. Three, to be exact."

The man rubbed his brow. "Let's see...let's see..." He paused and looked at the ceiling. "I believe I have a few left in storage. But I'm not selling them. I apologize."

"Um, is there anyway we can buy them?" Kairi asked, an urgent look upon her face. "We'll pay extra for three."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't sell those items for a reason. Abused too easily, you see. Is there anything else I can interest you in, though, my friends?"

"No," I said, annoyed that the man was not giving in.

"Then have a nice day. Please come again." The fire vanished and I soon found the shop covered in dust again, grime and such upon the floor. I glanced back at Kairi and Keiko to see their faces down. Keiko looked up suddenly, a glare set upon her face and shoved past both of us, stomping towards the door. I grabbed her arm, forcefully pulling the girl back.

"Killing him won't do anything, cat. I'll persuade him." 

Keiko glared at my words and watched as my back faced the two. I opened the back door to find another perfectly Victorian room, though not a single particle of dust lay anywhere in sight. The man turned around, startled and quickly moved to my side. "Sir, was there something else you needed?"

"I'm not leaving until you allow us to buy those necklaces."

"How persuasive, Riku," I heard Kairi mumble in the background.

The man looked frustrated. "I'm sorry, but as I have stated before, those particular items are _not_ for sail."

"Why not?!" Keiko seemed just as frustrated.

"I don't need people abusing their power! Do you realize how—"

Kairi stepped in front of me, a look of plea upon her face. "Caige Cyste sent us!"

The man stopped talking and slowly set his eyes upon Kairi. His face seemed to tense, and then to calm, simply to tense all over again. Running a hand through his feathery black hair, he turned his back. "This way." He motioned us to follow, and follow we did. Passing the cases and cases of books and tables and tables of items, we reached another door—a closet door, and the man pushed it upon. "My name is Jack Av, by the way, my friends." He pulled out a small box and turned to us.

"Three stones, all hanging upon the hair of a fairy. They will enable you to cross through mirrors." He slid the lid of the antique box off, revealing three necklaces, stones of jade and mirror hanging from them. "Use them wisely. That is all I ask." He gave the box to me. 

"Thank you, Mr. Av," I replied, accepting the box and giving him all the money I had brought with me. "I think that should cover it..."

"That is enough," he said, a warm smile on his lips. He led us back to the main room and I saw that the fireplace had been lit again and the room was clean. Kairi and Keiko both thanked him again and we made our way to the door. The fireplace coolly extinguished, causing dust to befall the room for the third time.

The trip home felt as though it took half the time getting to the shop and before I knew it, my apartment building greeted me. It was already 9 at night and I was tired of walking. Unlocking my door, I let everyone in. Kairi fell to the couch, exhausted, as did Keiko. I walked to the kitchen, taking out a box of crackers and tossed it to them. "You might as well eat now. We're leaving early tomorrow morning."

Keiko smirked and caught the box as Kairi stood and walked into the restroom. Taking a breath, I rubbed my eyes and made my way to my sleeping quarters, where I limply fell onto my bed, my heart beating gradually. Kairi soon walked in, a small smile on her face. She sat beside me, crossing her legs and stretched out her arms above her head, yawning. 

"You seem unusually keen on this idea, Riku," she said lightly, an eyebrow raised.

"Do I?"

"Yes." She paused, rubbing the back of her head uncomfortably. "I mean, usually it takes about a good week for you to like an idea, but on this one you almost seem as though you've thought of it before..."

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I think everyone's thought once or twice about a way out of here."

"Yeah, you're right." She stood, yawning. "Night, Riku."

"Night." I watched her leave before switching off my light. Insomnia was still here.

The following morning was a hectic one, for Kairi and Keiko were rushing about, looking for their weapons and medical items. I brushed the two off, explaining that we had to get going. At 7, we left the apartment for good. I locked the entrance door a final time and stuffed the keys into my pocket. With Kairi leading the way, we steadily made our way to Caige's, Heartless sometimes, and sometimes not getting in our way.

The ladder that led to the room of mirrors was reached, and the three of us easily climbed the metal bars, opening up the large metal doors. Caige was leaning against a wall, his arms crossed and eyes shut. Kairi ran forward, amulet in hand and called out his name. Caige opened his eyes and smiled warmly, pushing himself from the wall.

"Wow, you actually got 'em..."

"Yup!" 

Caige took notice of Keiko and I. "Nice to see you again, Riku. And I don't believe I've met you. My name's Caige Cyste."

Keiko smirked, though eventually smiled. "Name's Keiko Chinyere. Nice to meet you."

"Same here." He nodded at the three of us and turned towards his favorite mirror. "Now, are you sure you three want to leave Pareja? I swear, the desert past my village is _nothing_..."

"Yes," I answered, stepping forward, amulet around my neck.

"Very well. Follow me." Caige turned from us, walking through the mirror without so much as a blink of an eye. Kairi and I glanced at each other as Keiko easily walked past, not a worry in the world. Next Kairi went through, and I skeptically followed, brushing my hands through my hair. I stepped into the mirror, and a rush of crisp coldness rushed through my body, as though ice had struck me. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, saw that I was inside a room.

The room was light blue and the floor was wooden. With windows on the ceiling and a simple bed in the center, it looked like a typical bedroom. Caige turned away. "My room. Not much." He blushed slightly, staring at ground. "Come on, you have to see the village first." He signaled for us to follow him. Keiko, Kairi, and I walked out of the room and down a small flight of stairs where we came upon a living room. Caige opened the front door, allowing the girls and I to go before him.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Smiling people walked everywhere around their metallic village, busy with work and chores. Small buildings were all around, a friendly atmosphere everywhere. I realized that I was looking down upon the city, for Caige's home was three stories high. The balcony was white, as was everything else in the city and light blue, just as the sky. I looked up. The sun shone brightly. I smiled.

"The sun..." Kairi and Keiko said in unison, both obviously as amazed as I was. 

I walked down the white marble staircase that led to the ground, taking in the fresh air and the warm feeling upon my skin. Kairi, Keiko and Caige followed. I turned back to Caige, mumbling a modest thank you.

"Well, Riku," Caige said, turning to face the village. "Let me welcome you to _Cheval__, the Village of Mirrors."_

Readers: Please Check The Bio Of Jayde Amethyst And Myself. There Is An Important Note That NEEDS To Be Read. Thank you.

        -Aniiston


	12. Encounter The Blaze

Chapter XII

Encounter the Blaze

_Point of View: Riku_

**Written by: Jayde (12th chapter)**

            **Author's Note**: Firstly, I, Jayde, would like to write a quick apology to all of our readers: WE ARE SO SORRY! The impediment wait was respected at first, because we kept coming up with excuses for it. Then it became a little impatient…and then, irritated as it already was, the long holdup became annoying and more than a little impatient. So we two authoresses ask for your forgiveness and beg you deeply to accept our apology. It will never happen again. And now…

We are back in business, people! Finally, Chapter XII of _Nihility_, the long awaited chapter, is finally posted! No more silence from your two authoresses! We are now working harder then ever on this joint-project, and no longer do we wish to make our reviewers and readers wait forever. We promise – from now on, the most you will have to wait for a new chapter is two weeks. Any longer, and _then_ you can behead us! ^^ So…I hope you guys can forgive us for this extremely major delay – even we have to admit we were getting impatient with ourselves. XD So enjoy the chapter and…uh…please don't kill us, we've got a lot more to write! 

"Oh…it's beautiful…" I heard Keiko mumbled from beside me, gazing down at the village. Indeed it was, holding something I hadn't seen nor felt in four years. 

But it wasn't just the sun.

"I can't believe this place exists," Kairi whispered, awed by the sight. Caige blushed, but smiled to cover it. 

"A tour, shall we?" He descended the last marble step, feet lightly touching the dirt, before he walked onward, Kairi, Keiko, and I following.

Friendly faces smiled kindly and welcomingly at us as we passed through the Village of Mirrors. Some waved at Caige, who'd grin and wave back. Others would come up occasionally, saying hi to the man leading us and greeting us into Cheval. 

"That's Paros, the Medical Shop. Charles and Kacee owns it, but it is usually Charles who cares for customers," Caige said, gesturing with one hand toward a shop made entirely of white brick. A sign written in delicate handwriting hung in the window, bearing the shop's name. "And that's the Item Synthesis Shop." Once again, he gestured to another shop, one of blue marble. 

"This place seems _too_ friendly…is there even a weaponry here?" Keiko asked, staring in at the amalgamation shop. Caige nodded his head toward a small building a few stores down from the remedial shop. 

"Answer your question?" I asked coolly. I doubted any village or city in Nihility didn't carry armaments. Heartless were everywhere, and everywhere needed protection. 

I could feel Keiko's obtrusive glare on me, but decided not to meet her icy blue stare, lest we begin yet another fight. Instead, I looked down at the artillery shop, mind going into overdrive. 

"We should stock up on items and supplies," I said, turning around to face my companions. 

"We're leaving already?" Kairi whispered.

"Well we have to if we want to get off this planet faster." Keiko turned to her, one hand on her hip. "I require a new pair of gloves. The others broke last night." She looked as though she wished to say something else, something that would undoubtedly make me seethe, but decided not to. She was gone without a fleeting look over her shoulder, heading toward the Weaponry. 

"Guess that leaves us three?" Caige offered, twisting his head with a semi-cheerful smile. 

I walked away from him, Kairi in tow with a small smile of apology at Caige, and entered the store for medical supplies. It seemed almost like a mini-mart placed in an old colonial home. The floor was made of, of course, marble, but of a glossy light blue hue, and the walls and ceilings appeared to be the same color. 

To my right, I noticed a marble-glass counter with a short, balding man standing behind it. He nodded courteously and turned to speak at another customer who was asking him for a specific item. Behind him was a tall mirror, which showed no reflection. In front of the counter was a flat rug of a dark blue variety. To my left, there were about ten bookshelves, but instead of holding books, they held medicinal goods and other such things. I observed a few other patrons making purchases, as well as browsing the shop's display of articles.

As Caige entered the shop behind Kairi and I, I moved away from the two to the first shelf. I studied what items they had on the shelves, realizing they had a large array of items, some I'd never even seen before. Potions, Elixirs, Mega-Potions, Mega-Elixirs, plus many, many more were placed neatly on shelf after shelf. I looked over an Ether of a brand I'd never seen as Caige came up beside me.

"Take whatever you need. I talked to Charles," he said quietly before moving away to speak to Kairi down the aisle.

I smirked and took the Ether, as well as a few other things; my stock of items was already fairly high. 

As I stuffed them into the bag I had carried, I witnessed as Caige leaned in to whisper something in Kairi's ear. He pulled away a second later, grinning, then bowed his head slightly and left the shop. 

I walked over to her as she turned around.

She blushed, nodded once, and pulled an Elixir down. Soon, she, too, had exited the shop. 

Bemused, I swiftly departed the shop with a small half-salute to 'Charles', I believe, behind the counter. 

Again, I was greeted with the warm rays of the sun. I started down the dirt-cobble street, searching for signs of Caige, Keiko, or Kairi.

In front of what looked like a restaurant, I spotted Keiko speaking with Caige and one of the locals. 

For a few seconds, I stared, wondering just what it was that they were speaking of. Then, deciding I'd probably not want to know, I edged into the restaurant.

It's nice enough, I though with a smirk. I walked across the wooden floor, noting that it was more like a bar. However, this particular place was made mostly of wood, unlike all the other buildings I had seen. And it was quite homey too, though, for the atmosphere was quite pleasant, like everywhere else in Cheval, it seemed. 

It makes you kind of stop and think, like, what the hell is going on? Did I enter another reality or something?

So far, from what I'd seen from Pareja, Nihility was a sunless, somber world.

So how did Cheval, the Village of Mirrors, get like…well, like _this_? 

"Riku?" 

My train of thought dwindled away as the caller entered my head. I turned around slowly. 

It was Kairi.

And I smiled briefly at her.

"Come on, let's go." Her pale face acquired a small look of bewilderment.

"What about Caige and Keiko?" I nodded shortly and began to leave the bar, Kairi trailing behind.

"They're coming, don't worry." 

Once we were outside, Caige saw us, and Keiko walked with him.

"So are we leaving?" asked Caige pleasantly. 

I nodded thinly. 

"Yes." I paused, searching the small city-like village with just my eyes. "How are we leaving?"

Caige grinned that annoying grin and bowed his head toward Charles's store. "Remember that mirror behind the counter? The one that gives off no reflection? That's the Mirror of Chios. It'll get us out of here faster and easier than the regular way." He frowned a bit and combed his gloved hand through his hair. "But no one ever leaves Cheval, through the regular way or through the Mirror of Chios. That way, no one knows what lays beyond the invisible screens of this village."

"No one wants to," Keiko said quietly, apparently making the inference herself.

Caige sighed and shrugged.

I paid this no heed.

"We take his mirror," I avowed plainly. I took the lead back up the dirt road to Paros, the others following closely behind. Someone had apparently heard us talking about the 'Mirror of Chios' and leaving Cheval, as many of the people of the mirrors began staring, their looks either pleading us not to go or wishing us good luck.

Either way, it was easy to see the fear hidden beneath each face.

Caige was right; no one had ever crossed the border between Cheval and whatever lay beyond it. 

No one knew what to expect, and no one wanted to. 

I groaned inwardly; apparently this would be harder than I thought. We didn't know what was coming. Quite frankly, I suddenly wished someone could tell us. 

Not that I was going to actually _ask_.

"Riku?" Once more, my trail of thought was lost when Keiko called to me. "You coming, pea brain, or are you too moronic to see the store right in front of you?" 

I bit my tongue hard and looked away.

"Not as idiotic as your pea brain, cat." I brushed past her, and it was like I could sense her giving me another of those wannabe-glares. I smirked lightly and faced the counter, where Caige was speaking quietly with Charles and Kacee, I reputed, who had only just come, and Kairi stood, silent as ever, behind him. 

"We can't allow you to leave," Kacee, a prim young brunette, apparently Charles's daughter, said to Caige. "Taking Chios is different than taking one of the regular mirrors. Anything could happen–"

"The other mirrors lead to places in this village, and only one leads to Pareja, and we commute there all the time! We just want to get out of Cheval and away from Pareja. Please, you have to let us go." 

And, apparently, Caige was having trouble. 

Kacee shook her longhaired head. "I'm sorry, but the answer is no." As though that would be the last spoken thought, she bid us goodbye and disappeared into a back room. 

Kairi, Keiko, and I stared at Caige's back while Charles gazed helplessly at his bowed head. 

"Now what?" 

His voice was emaciated, as though he was giving news that they'd lost a great war. 

Kairi said nothing.

I said nothing.

But Keiko walked up to him and nodded at Charles. "It's easy." 

I snorted.

She probably wanted to kill Kacee and take the mirror anyway.

"We kill Kacee and take the mirror."

I laughed inwardly, only hardly amazed at how right I was.

If it had been on any other situation, I would have laughed out loud.

"It won't work, cat. Why do you have to kill someone every time you don't get what you want?" Though it was meant as an aggravated accusation, Keiko took it as a purely naive query. 

She smirked. "Because that's the _only_ way to get what you want in Nihility, especially when asking doesn't work."

I worked to keep from grunting in amusement.

I doubted if she'd ever 'asked' for something, besides with Kairi.

Even as the notion was directed to Caige, Charles bit his lip and looked back at the closed door of the back room. Then he looked at Keiko and shook his head.

"I'll distract her while you get away." 

Caige's head went up, and he gazed half in awe and half in appreciation. Kairi's tired face lit up with a smile, and Keiko grinned in content.

Needless to say, I was hardly flabbergasted. But I smirked and nodded. 

"Thanks." Charles bowed his head slightly and lifted the delicate glass-marble, allowing us access the behind the counter – and the mirror to our freedom. 

When the others had finished their extol of his kindness, the old man turned around, glancing nervously at the closed back door. 

"Place yourself directly in front of it," he said quietly. "And clearly enunciate 'open'. Walk through and you'll find yourself…not in Cheval at least."

"You mean, _you_ don't know where this mirror leads?" Keiko suddenly seemed skeptical.

Caige glanced at her. "Be happy he's doing this, that's all." He nodded at me. "You first." 

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Fine, whatever." I stepped promptly before 'Chios', looked at the four figures behind me, then turned back to the mirror and lucidly pronounced, 'open'. An unfolding light, like a shining glacier sunrise, came forth of the magical glass entry. Rays fell one on top of the other, creating a spectacular wave-like affect of a pearl glimmer, and a burst of bright light exploded from within the depths of Chios, inviting me forward.

I accepted the incitement, and stepped within the enchantment.

I stepped forward and my feet nearly sunk in the ground. 

Surprised, I looked down. 

I was standing in sand.

I was still apparently stunned when Keiko, Kairi, and then Caige came into the new area with me; they were as astonished as I. 

We had entered a desert. The sweltering heat immediately overtook the shock, and I gazed across the tan-brown sand as tiny grains were hardly picked up by the smallest of winds. Hill after scorching hill could be seen from here to the distance, and the arid wasteland seemed to go on forever, into a never-ending horizon.

"Oh no…" Caige mumbled, overlooking the region. "I thought this place had long since frozen over…" 

"What?" Keiko asked loudly, her voice calmly echoing over the barren lands. 

Kairi and Keiko and I looked at him, unsure of what exactly was going on.

The man turned to us.

"We're in the Jilt Desert." 

I crossed my arms.

"Excuse me?" 

"Jilt Desert. I heard about it some long time ago. But that was when the man who told me also said it was going to freeze when the sun over here would give out."

Kairi obviously didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" 

Caige sighed, dropped to his knees and fell back in a sitting position.

"If you think Nihility never had a sun at all, you're wrong. It used to have a sun that would shine all over at once and never disappeared. But Nihility is a world of heartless and darkness, and everyone knew the sun wouldn't last forever. Slowly, the sun began to dwindle away from everywhere, vanishing under the weight of the shadows of this new world."

"But how would you know that? I thought no one ever left Cheval, or Pareja. Wouldn't that be impossible to tell?"

Caige nodded. 

"Charles told me. I'm not sure how he knew, but he seemed sure enough when he did. So I made a theoretic implication." He stood, wiping the sand off his pants. "Should we go forward or back?" 

Kairi cleared her throat. 

"There _is_ no going back." She looked at the desolate terrain behind us, the unfertile land before us, and the bleak expanse from side to side, going on and on till the world would end. 

"Oh shit…"

"We're stuck here? But…what happened to the mirror?" Caige started forward.

"It's gone. It took us to our destination, and now there's only one direction to go." 

Uncertainly, Keiko began to follow him, but kept looking back at the place Kairi and I were as though the mirror would return and bring us back to the village. But nothing happened; nothing _came_ back. 

Kairi, too, started following Keiko and Caige. I shrugged inwardly and trailed as well.

Kacee opened the backroom door and walked forward, toward a frightened old man.

"You let them go, didn't you." 

It was no question; just a connotation. 

Charles said nothing.

"You know what must be done about this."

Again, he was silent. 

"Speak, you old fool!" Her hand flew up and slapped him; his neck snapped to the side with the force. 

Quickly, he regained his equanimity, doing nothing such as flinching in the process.

"Yes, they are gone." Behind him, the mirror glowed a faint white light, then slowly disintegrated. 

Kacee watched it silently. When it was gone, she turned her back on Charles.

"Call him, and make sure they are punished." 

"Yes, madam." 

"Where are we going?" Keiko moaned again. I glanced at her as she dragged herself by my right, then looked toward the sun, which hung high overhead. The heat was growing unbearable while I was used to the freezing cold. But this was far past anything I knew, or probably used to know, at the very least. Long since had I stripped myself of my long, raven cloak, as did my companions. Two made an effort not to complain, but one let herself freely go.

I'm sure you know of whom I speak of.

I growled, and continued to walk at my unvarying pace, while the others tried hard to keep up. 

"I don't know, but hopefully we'll get their soon," Caige panted to her. He wiped at the beads of sweat pouring from his face and squinted to see what lay before us.

I really wanted to yell. I didn't care too much about the heat. I just wanted something to do other than walk on mile after mile of sand, staring at the forever-continuing path to who-knew-where. There was nothing to entertain me, nothing for me to kill, except three others whom I'd rather not (though one was quite tempting at the moment). No heartless, no _being_ would be stupid enough to live in the Jilt Desert, an empty void of the nonentity and heat beyond a snowman's wildest nightmares.

"The day is ebbing away from us," Kairi said quietly, though her voice was layered with tiredness. "We should find somewhere to rest for the night."

Keiko snorted.

"And where would that be? Under a nice big pile of sand, perhaps?" She fell to her knees right then and pulled up a handful of sand. "I haven't seen anything but sand for the last six hours!" 

Caige fidgeted slightly. "Seven hours, Keiko." 

She glared murder at him. 

"Do I care? The only thing I care about right now is getting out of the sun…" she whined aggravatingly.

As I watched, Caige and Kairi sat down, seeming extremely tired.

And I couldn't blame them.

Our animosity of Nihility was growing larger than I ever could imagine.

But I just stared down at them.

"We have to find somewhere to sleep for tonight. I don't wish to be dead in the morning." I flung my cloak over the opposite shoulder it had been previously and let my eyes look into the distance, a cold stare that would never be powerful enough to cool this world.

Kairi rolled her eyes at my statement, losing any cool she had had, or tried to keep. "Why would we be dead Riku? Okay, in case you haven't noticed, there is _nothing_ to kill us out here except the heat. Nothing with even the tiniest sense of a brain would _try_ to live here. And if I should finally be right about one thing, night in a desert is freezing cold." She stood, brushed off her black Capri and began to walk once more. 

I suddenly wished I could scream at her, too. 

"Hey, guys?" she suddenly called, exhilaration seeping effortlessly into her voice. "Was that there a second ago?"  

My gaze lazily wandered into her direction, then locked with a building I hadn't noticed before. Well, conceivably not a 'building', but shelter, nonetheless. 

_Was it a mirage?_

_Was I seeing things?_

_Or was it truly, really, there?_

Whatever my thoughts conveyed it as, I found myself walking faster towards it, Caige only two steps behind me, and Keiko hurrying into a full-on dash as Kairi met her pace, but was ahead of her in her alacrity. 

As we neared, I realized it was no hallucination. It was no figment of my imagination, no allegation of any delusion I was certain would have taken hold of my already.

It was real.

And it was a sanctuary from the blazing temperature. 

The four of us stopped in front of it. It was nothing fancy, not at all. Just a simple shack-like, two-floored home, with a signpost stuck in the sand, slantingly reading 'Jilt Inn'. A putrefying picket fence surrounded it, and on the door, though it was shut tight, hung a small piece of paper, I believe, and on it was written, 'open'. 

I would have laughed, if only the door had not opened and both Kairi and Keiko had rushed in. A blast of cool air followed their entrance, and Caige pushed me inside, quickly shutting the door behind him. 

I abruptly felt…_replenished_. The cool air and soundless, steady drumming of an air conditioner or fan blanketed itself around the four of us as though snow had suddenly fallen with amazing momentum and speed. I felt the sweat freeze on my face and back, then either diminish or sink back into my skin. 

After a moment, I let my eyes adjust to the small amount of light that came from a ceiling fan, which beat at a quiet, continuous rate. The floor was wooden, but was covered with one large, plush carpet of a violet texture. Two floor-to-ceiling bookcases, one on my right, and one ahead of me, were filled with dusty, weathered books and artifacts of all ages. A beaten wooden door was closed beside the aforementioned bookcase, and on the other side, dusty brown steps, worn with time, led to the second floor. The same assortment of stairs rested beside it, leading down, probably into the basement. 

A dusty antique garnet couch sat in front of one bookcase, and a few cushioned, straight-backed chairs of the same color sat on the primeval rug. Crooked paintings and an outdated map of who-knew-what hung on the four walls, and a long, polished wooden table sat firmly on the left wall, where an elderly woman sat, bent over one of her many books.

Caige cleared his throat politely. 

"Um, excuse me?" 

The lady glanced up, then back down at her readings. 

"We're not open. Go away." 

Keiko raised an eyebrow, her arms folded in exacerbating stillness. 

"Not open, eh? That's not what your crudely drawn sign hanging outside of your door said." 

I rolled my eyes at Keiko's back. She was a cat, a moron _and_ a bitch.

The figure stood, placed her book neatly in the corner of her 'desk' and set a glare on the woman who chose to disturb her rather than leave her alone.

"I'm sorry, but that 'crudely drawn sign' out there is not meant for the likes of you…" She paused, her small, pebble-round eyes darting from Keiko to Kairi to Caige to myself. "…Chevalians." 

Evidently, Keiko and Caige both took this extremely offensively. 

"'Us Chevalians'? Listen here, you little–" 

"Cease!" A loud voice boomed over the readying fight, startling and impeding Keiko, Caige, and the woman.

I looked calmly towards the source of the voice, the stairs; after all, this was not my fight, as much as I would have loved to tear anyone's throat out at the very moment.

A very old man, older, it seemed, even than Charles, if not the same age, stood three steps from the bottom, one arm resolutely at his side, the other paused beside his head in an irritated fashion. Unlike Charles, he still had a lot of his hair, which was a mix of black and white at the scalp, all combed back. He wore basically a white t-shirt and black jeans, looking as though he'd just come from a shower. 

He offered nothing but a small nod at the female, who turned her nose in repugnance. "Please excuse my sister, she's abhorrently discourteous." He descended the last few steps and looked at me. "Why are you here? No one has been to this place for thirty years."

Kairi finally glanced at me, as did Caige; Keiko said and did nothing. 

"We are from Cheval. We are…seeking the nearest city," Caige answered as politely as he could manage.

The woman looked at him. "What for?" 

Keiko rolled her eyes, her desire to kill this elder discernible in those dark-blue-light-blue depths. "To live there, wench." 

The man shook his head at his sister. "And you seek shelter from the heat? How far have you traveled?" 

"Six hours worth, give or take," I said. The gentleman sighed.

"Very well. You may stay here." He bowed his head slightly. "I am Gillus. My sister is Valencia, but we would both rather you called her Val." 

Val shrugged, walked out from behind the stilted table, and sauntered a few steps up the staircase. She looked at the four of us expectantly, and I could _feel_ Caige and Keiko's blatant looks of odium returning her gaze.

"Well?" she barked, making Kairi jump. "What are your names?" 

"I'm Kairi," the maroon-haired young girl said. "This is Keiko, Caige, and Riku." She motioned her head toward the name's respectable owners. Then she looked at Val. 

The white-haired woman nodded. "Fine. Follow me. I'll show you to your rooms." She turned and walked up the stairs, a little too fast, while the rest of us hurried right behind. 

Gillus looked at me, a calmly doubtful look that made me want to punch him for setting it on me. But I returned the look with an impertinent stare and continued to pursue Val and the others.

We reached the second floor in only seconds. The hall looked as natural an old colonial hall could be, with its faded carpet covered the creaky wooden boards and discolored paintings stuck in those blank and plain stares for eternity. The limited light came from a net window and thinning light bulb that hung from the ceiling. Three doors led to closet-like rooms on my right, and two others on my left. 

Val nodded at Keiko and Kairi, motioning toward her first door. "You two can sleep in here."

"Why can't I have my own room? Not like you have any other guests in this repulsive place," Keiko complained immediately, making a childish face. Kairi looked a little hurt.

A white-haired Valencia glared at her. "At one hundred Gil a room, it'd be my pleasure." 

Keiko huffed, glowering at the senior, then barged into the room the aged lady had told her, Kairi right behind. 

Val smirked in her quiet triumph and motioned toward the next, nearest door. "Riku, I believe? You can stay there. And the other one can have this," she opened the entrance after mine, leaving it open so she could walk downstairs. "If you saw the other staircase, it leads to the kitchenette. If you're not there by eight sharp, you starve." As she passed me to leave this level, I could hear her muttering clearly, "…hopefully…"

I snorted at her apathetic manner toward the 'Chevalians', as she so put it, Kairi and myself. Just another wench I'd indisputably kill if given the chance. 

Then again, when had I become so lenient with obliterating something – or someone – I loathed?

_Of course. When Kairi and Keiko came. _

Why was that again?

_Kairi didn't _want_ me to kill the bitchy cat._

Ah, how I wished I had met the human Keiko before Kairi ordered me _not_ to kill the wench that, in my opinion, was of less significance than myself. 

Wouldn't you think so?

I sighed and entered my 'room', if you could even call it that. 

A small bed, looking a lot like a couch without its head, sat on the other side of the door. A tiny pale, a garbage bin, I thought, was in the corner of the room directly in front of me, and a locked and bolted door took up the third corner, near a closed window with no curtains. 

"Home sweet home." 

Eight o'clock had been only an hour away, and I spent my hour staring at the ceiling, finding nothing amusing at all. Five to eight, I rose, left my room, then left the floor. I found the others had also been stuck in their rooms, and followed me down, apparently quite happy they finally had something to do. 

Meeting us at the base of the steps were Valencia and Gillus, Val with her indifferent eyes shut in repulsion, nose pointed in the air, and Gillus with his utter simplicity and quiet manner. He nodded without a word of hello and brought us down into the olden, reeking kitchen-slash-dining room, which was exactly what it was. The stairs came to a concrete floor boarded with ancient, rotting wooden floorboards, and it seemed as though no one had swept down here in years upon waiting years. 

The kitchen-and-dining room was small, to say the least. I literally had to crouch slightly so I wouldn't hit my head on the rutted ceiling made of who-knew-what – most likely wood or concrete, like the floor. Everything indicated 'hand-made'. Even the jagged table of scratchy marble was hand-made, with straight-backed chairs and a dim primordial chandelier with _things_ crawling in it, that gave off hardly enough light for any to see what was going on. I strained to make out the other side of the basement room, seeing the machines used to make the food, the sink, and a tub filled with murky green water. 

Keiko looked askance, her kitten eyes set on the small tub. 

"Whore…she better hope for her life she didn't wash _my_ plate in _that_," she muttered to herself, probably hoping Val had heard her.  

I snorted inaudibly, as Gillus civilly – unlike Val – pointed us toward our seats. We each took ours quietly, save for Keiko, and Val handed out the plates, rather roughly. 

Dinner was some unidentifiable red-yellow substance that, as I was the first to try it, tasted like steamed muck – pretty much a _delicacy _compared to what I was given to eat the first time I arrived in Nihility. Keiko, when she only just _glimpsed_ it, accused Valencia of trying to poison us. After Kairi and Caige finally convinced her it was _not_ poison, she calmed – but only the tiniest bit. I still saw Val giving her a deathly evil smile, and I took Keiko's word to heart – not that I would ever admit it – and excused myself from dinner altogether. 

I found nothing to do, and felt lethargic of sheer boredom and the seven-hour trek through the desert – but my insomnia came back to haunt me. Not even my fatigued muscles could coax my head into sleeping. 

Finally I decided to sit up in bed and stare at nothing until I would eventually fall asleep.

Of course, sleep never came. I was undeserving of such a gift, and _everything_ around me knew it, forcing me to stay awake. I could not even close my eyes against the black murk of night that mantled the room in which I stayed. I stared and I stared. Though there was nothing that could take my attention, the wall ahead of me did, and it laughed so evocatively in the dimness that I had to look at it, glare at it, until it would ultimately stop. 

But it never did. Not until the morning rays of the unfamiliar sun fell into my room did I fall to my pillow, oblige my eyes closed, and fell into the lightest sleep I'd ever slept.  

Only an hour or so later, I had awoke once more, but my lack of sleep of the night before did nothing to slow me down – yet Kairi was the only one who thought it did.

"Riku, you look…" 

As we sat around the 'living-room/lobby', Keiko dozing on the couch (it seemed she didn't sleep much either), Caige, Kairi, and myself in the only other chairs, Kairi looked at my pale figure, that notorious glint of concern swimming in her eyes. 

I knew she wished to say 'tired', but I also realized she knew I didn't want to hear it. 

"Did you get any sleep…at all, last night?" she pronounced gradually, softly, as though she only wished myself to hear. Caige, however, overheard as well, and leaned over to listen in. 

I glared at him; no matter what, I was still untrusting of this man, for I had only known him for a day – how long have I? – or so. Just as I did not hold faith in Keiko.

_Never have and never will._

He caught my look and went a light shade of red, then leaned back in his seat.

I looked back at Kairi. "Don't worry about me, Kai," I answered obstinately. "It's nothing, just lack of sleep." 

_Insomniac_, a part of my mind screamed contemptuously.

I growled outwardly, wanting to punch whoever owned that voice. 

_Shut. The. Hell. Up._

_Make me. _

I was silent, staring at the air before me, as Kairi looked on apprehensively. 

_You're crazy. You know it. Kairi knows it. Even Keiko, asleep over there, knows it._

_Get off it._

I strained to relieve myself of my mind, and succeeded. I looked at Kairi and smirked my usual, frozen and isolated smirk she had come to know. 

"Come off it, Kai." 

"Mmmmrrrmmmmph…" Keiko grunted in her sleep, shifting her body so her back was to us. 

_I can't wait till she can become a kitten again…then she can die easier._

I inwardly chuckled at this evil thought. I had them quite often. 

"She's a heavy sleeper," Kairi said gently, though it was more to herself than anyone else. "When do you think we should wake her?" 

Caige glanced at me. "Yeah…when are we going to leave?" 

"Tomorrow morning," I said easily, without another thought, and as an atypical finality. "We'll spend one more night, to rest." 

"Where do we go from here?" Kairi asked in that same tone of voice. I shrugged, this time looking at Caige. 

"Yes, where _do_ we go?" 

Caige shook his head. 

"I've no idea. We simply head north. Cheval is in the south, and Pareja is isolated somewhere near middle-Nihility, with the only exit being through Cheval. So north is our best bet." 

"And you're sure you know which way is north?"

Caige smirked teasingly. "If not, then we'll die anyway, won't we?"

"I have no intention of dying, _Caige_," I said coolly. "Not here, and not now. Or anytime soon, for that matter." I sat back.

There was a long silence following my statement, a quiet satisfaction that puzzled me from somewhere in the back of my head. But I said nothing more. Kairi, however, still had much to ask.

"Where is the exit to this place anyway?" 

Caige was tacit with thought, until Keiko's yawning, ever familiar and bothersome voice echoed through the quiet room and answered her question.

"The center of this world, as the legend says." Her answer was as serene as she seemed right then. "'The seven survivors traveled for years toward their destination, the exit to this world. Three years after they had surfaced of the cities they had lived within, the Guardian of the Depths brought them to the exit." She paused for effect, though I was already bored with the whole thing, and the dramatic point was lost. "No one knows what went on, but only one person escaped it alive. And he still lives in Nihility – he's lived in it for one hundred years."

Caige burst out laughing, and Keiko set a dumbfounded glare on him. 

"What?"

"That's the most common of all tales in Cheval. The story of the single survivor? Give me a break, every _newborn_ knows that legend." He coughed to quit laughing. "I'm sorry, but that's probably not even true. There is an exit to this world, but no one's ever tried it. If they did, they either died or succeeded and left." 

"But you're very wrong, Caige," said an unruffled, remote masculine voice. Against my will, I turned just my head, as did Kairi and Caige, while Keiko just stared ahead.

Gillus had heard it all. 

"You must heed this warning, children." He walked before us, sullenly and mutely, leaning against the bottom of the couch, next to where Keiko's feet rested. "The dangers of this world are far greater than anything you can ever wonder." 

Keiko sat up, pulling her knees to her chest, allowing Gillus to sit. He did not.

"There is a horror that lays beyond today, beyond this place, that not even a heartless can imagine. If you should leave Nihility, beware of the challenges, and beware of the danger." He pushed himself away from the sofa, nodding in my direction. "You must make your own story. But in this tale, the heart means nothing…_and_ everything. So don't ignore it." 

He walked away, disappearing down into the basement. 

The four of us stared after.

And no one could speak. Not for a long time. 

The morning bustled with a hectic air, as, just as when we had left Pareja, Keiko and Kairi gathered their things at the last moment. I disregarded it all, and waited as patiently as possible for them to finish. As Caige paid Valencia for the three rooms we had used, Keiko and Kairi rushed down the stairs, bumping into one another while hasting to stop at the door. 

"Gillus said to be careful," Valencia said, speaking as though she was asking a stranger for directions. "And to do as he says. Many are given advice, but only the wise profit from it." She looked away nonchalantly, not even bothering to say goodbye or good luck. 

I didn't give a damn.

And neither did my companions. 

We left the inn without a glance back.

"So, which way is north?" Keiko asked imperturbably, shading her eyes from the sun with her hand. 

Caige narrowed his eyes against the sun's powerful rays and looked as best he could. 

Then he gasped.

"Someone's coming," he whispered urgently, nodding in the direction he was looking into. 

And indeed, someone was. 

While Keiko took one step forward and Kairi, one step backward, my face matched Caige's to look at the visitor.

It was a man. Tall and black-haired he was, a too-common attribute among the people I've see along my way. His skin was tanned, apparently colored so by the sun, and his eyes appeared a blood red.

Appearance? Not very comforting. But I never took comfort in the appearance of any others. 

There was no point.

Right?

He came closer, a furtively libelous smirk attached to his pink-white lips. His apparel was not of any awareness to myself – a soldier's military uniform. In complete truth, I never knew – nor gave much thought – that Nihility _had_ any form of militia or Special Forces as such. Perhaps he was not of this world? 

Then why was he looking at Kairi, Keiko, Caige, and myself in such a way?

Did he want something?

I stood up straight and held a mockingly placid smirk to my face, daring this _man_ to do anything to my companions or I. Should he try, I'd make him regret setting his snarling garnet eyes on _me_.

Caige did not follow my movements. 

In fact, he fell into a fighter's stance, a unique one that took me by surprise, for I do not believe I've ever seen someone fight as so. 

Or maybe I have.

For instance…why did it seem so familiar?

And why, for all that I am and have been my eighteen years of living, did it _hurt_ when he did so?

I never knew why.

For as soon as the red-eyed man fell near, he shouted out.

And anything I had currently been thinking about was drowned in his words. 

"What are you doing here?" 

His voice was seething, ghastly, yet composed in a horrifying irregularity.  

And I suddenly hated this man, no matter who he may be.

Though Caige did nothing, as Kairi, Keiko jumped up and pointed one long, threatening finger at whoever he should be. 

"And just who the hell do you _think_ you _are_?!" 

She was fuming.

It suddenly seemed clear she was as adolescent as I had always knew she was.

Yet the argot male's smirk only widened. 

He bowed low, an abhorrent gesture some hopeless men used to introduce themselves, and walked forward, his left forearm hidden behind his back. Keiko, the closest to him, glared at his arrogant manner, then nearly bit his head off as he took her right hand in his and _kissed_ it, of all things.

"Good day, my dear. Your kind words are melody to my tired ears, but courteousness an assassin does not make." Keiko pulled her hand away and growled, and James jumped back with a speed I recognized as my own as she pounced forward, kicking up sand in her wake and landing. 

He smiled cruelly. "There should be no question of my identity, my precious acquaintances. There is a problem at hand that must be attained to before I may continue my rounds."

I felt my head cock briefly to the side, not in puzzlement, but in pure disbelief at this…this _asshole's_ ways of introduction, not to mention chivalrous manners. And then there was his use of the word 'assassin', which answered the question to _what_ he was. Just not _who_ he is. 

He glanced at me conceitedly, as though he had already won an un-played battle. Then his smirking ceased, and was placed with staid, stationary look.

"You four have left your _homes_. I was just so informed by a close associate of mine, Kacee McGuellan and her father, Charles." He stopped, a teasing twinkle in his eye; Caige stumbled back a step or two. "And under the order of His Mastery, I have been told to bring you all back to where you _came_ from, including the _chentil_." He looked at Keiko, who stared up, astonished, suddenly, by the assassin's vocabulary. "If you should come quietly, no one will get hurt…at least, not until you are brought back." 

I looked at Keiko. "A chentil?" I said under my breath. "What the hell is that?"

She glared back. "Me, I'm a chentil. A human who can change into a specific animal at will." 

The stranger coughed to reach our attention, got it, and continued to speak. "Riku, Outer Limits, Pareja; Kairi, Fourth District, Pareja; Caige Cyst, Open Market, Cheval; and Keiko Chinyere, Thirteenth District, Pareja." As he finished stating our former _homes_, he straightened his tight vest, which appeared to be quite uncomfortable in the rising heat. 

Keiko chose then to scream. "You asshole! _I didn't travel all this goddamn way just to go all the way back_!" She reared back, pulling her arms up in her familiar kittenish position and growled, though it was no longer her voice. Slowly, but surely, she was changing.

Into her un-human self, I was sure. 

But no longer did she appear as that dirty little feline I hated as much as her humanoid form.

No, she fell to her knees, screaming like a human and screeching like a cat, but hardly grew as small she had been.

Oh no, she was _much_ bigger. The size, shape, color, and hunger of a white tiger overtook her with an exchange of great pain. But the transformation was done. With a blast of black and white light, any trace of a human's outward appearance vanished, and the only thing left were those haunting two-colored eyes.

Alteration complete, she snarled, and leapt forward, though only far enough so our guest could see what she was going to use to rip him apart.

But he yawned, smiling slightly, as though the whole idea bored him and was utterly pointless. And, apparently, this young woman's makeover would do no good. 

So I took my stance, and glared. 

"Who _are_ you?" I asked through gritted teeth. 

He smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask." He bowed again. "I am James. James Hitachi, Master Assassin." 

I snorted, much to 'James Hitachi's' unseen annoyance.

"What a pathetic title." I shook my head mockingly. "What, you're mother think 'shit-head' and 'dip-shit' were too good for you?" 

Finally, James's scarlet eyes narrowed icily, and he pulled two ominous-looking weapons – I believe they were called _Kama_ – from the back of his leather belt, a feature I missed with scornful disrespect.

As though those _Kama_ had any respectful attributes among them. 

They didn't appear to be stronger than the two short swords I possessed and happened to be a master at. 

Oh how I was wrong. So dreadfully, dreadfully wrong.

"You don't know just _who_ you're dealing with, do you, Riku?" 

And he shot forward. 

_No matter the odds, he was powerful._

_But I'd prove that wrong, even if it _was_ right._

At that very same moment, Keiko, as a white tiger, roared in anger – and I hinted pleasure as well – and pounced with immense force on his form. But he was fast. Like I said, he had my speed.

He jumped out of the way, and Keiko fell into the sand again, rolling to the side with the force of the impact. 

It was my turn, for I could not wait. 

I charged forward, and performed one of my special combinations: I jumped an exceeded height and kicked down. He caught my foot, surprising me, and threw me with astonishing strength at least several feet, but only because I punched him in the jaw, throwing his aim off. 

I skidded to a halt and ran back, evaded a kicking-and-punching combo, and hit him in the stomach with a knee, hard. But his vest, it seemed, was meant to either absorb or null the attack. James smirked and attacked back. With amazing speed, he unleashed a deadly combo of blows, clouts, punts, and slashes with his kama.

It didn't feel like much, but when he kicked me away, I tasted salty-and-sour blood pouring out of something in my mouth. I licked whatever reached my lips and swallowed everything in my throat.

But I could not get up.

Caige was up.

He jumped up, grabbed the kama from James's hands and pulled them back, landing flawlessly behind the murderer. His hands pulled out, the kama facing to the side, and he grinned, settled on one knee, his other leg thrust out, as if he were to trip someone.

James grinned back, much to Caige's surprise. He ran forward, eluded the double-kick trip he somehow _knew_ Caige was planning, kneed him in the chin and grabbed the precious weapons from Caige's shocked hands. 

He rolled to the side as the man improved, wiping blood away from his mouth, and leapt to his feet, just as James was about to shoot the kama at him. 

He threw it forward like a Frisbee, but missed when he fell back, holding himself up with his hands and feet. 

He threw himself up and accidentally dodged the last kama thrown, bounded forward, and gave one blow after the other to the weapon-defenseless killer.

Keiko had quickly recovered from her ordeal, and, after Caige had dealt his damage – even if he _wasn't_ finished with this guy – she lunged at his back with her colossal, glass-knife teeth, and bit into the tender human flesh, through the heavy vest which was his only protection. She pulled away, taking with her a large chunk of skin with blood splattered about her face.

James screamed in pain. 

Our victory was assured as he fell to the sand. 

Behind him, Keiko spit up blood and whatever else she'd taken with her. I heard footsteps, and Kairi was soon beside me, pulling me into a sitting position, then gasping with literal horror. 

"Oh Riku…your face…" She looked politely away, let go of my arms, and lost whatever food she'd recently accumulated. 

I tried to smirk, but my face was painful. 

Caige had run over, looking over my features with a quiet intensity. 

"He did a number to you, Riku," was all he said. He looked at Kairi, who had just finished gulping down a small bottle of water, and motioned with his head for her to come over. She did, followed his quiet directions, and pulled out a potion from the pouch hanging from a broken leather cord on my side. 

"Drink this," she murmured quietly. Caige left us alone, but nearly stumbled back when he realized Keiko was unconscious in her human form, and James was nowhere to be found. 

I guzzled the potion quickly and sat up, feeling dizzy. Caige looked back at Kairi and I.

"What is it?" she whispered; then she saw Keiko. "Oh God…" 

Her head darted in every direction. 

"Where'd he go?" Her voice was unnerved, even fearful. 

Caige shook his head, then walked over to Keiko and gently revived her. Once awake, she stared up at Caige until she remembered everything that had gone on. 

"He'll be back," she said sorely. "He'll be stronger. And until he's completed his…his mission," she coughed, "he'll be relentless in his pursuit." 

She quieted, coughing more, apparently from whatever had knocked her out when James disappeared. 

But that overwhelming silence consumed the scene. 

Only minutes later, Caige silently declared we get going. I stood, yet still needed a support to lean on. Kairi volunteered, but still hesitated when looking at my face; apparently the potion given to me merely revived some of my lost strength, but not all, and did nothing to heal the cuts and bruises delivered to my face. 

No matter. I could live with that. 

"There has to be a faster way to travel," Kairi murmured none too loudly, leaning against the rotted picket fence surrounding the Jilt Inn. "What if he comes back faster? We know nothing of what he's capable of…for all we _do_ know, he could be a White Mage or something." 

The three of us agreed. 

"Maybe we should ask…" I paused, absorbing the pain talking inflicted upon my swollen visage, "if Gillus has a way."

Caige sighed. "I doubt it."

"Wasn't there a pen in the back of this inn?" Keiko suddenly said. "I slept by the window last night and something kept clucking." 

I set a painful stare on the female.

"It was probably your snoring." 

Keiko narrowed her eyes, and stated something extremely obscene; something I also found was extremely amusing. 

"Quit it, you idiots," Caige interrupted, already irritated with our bickering. "Let's go inside and see if there's another way to travel."

We reentered the Jilt Inn, a place I had hoped to never enter again. Gillus sat at the stilted table Valencia had sat upon, and Valencia had just been coming down the stairs. 

He looked up. "I thought you've long since been gone, friends." His voice was a little alarmed, as was his face, as his gaze settled upon our appearances. 

"Is there any way to cut through this place faster?" Keiko then blurted out, not caring about explanations.

Gillus's head cocked to the side in thought as he looked on at us. Then he looked at Valencia, who still had not moved from her position on the stairs. He nodded at her; she nodded at him. 

"Follow me," she said quietly. She turned around, and walked up the stairs once more. 

We reached the hall, then she opened my former room door. The old woman soon opened the bolted door I had seen before, and she led us down a dark path of gray concrete steps. A few seconds passed, then Valencia opened a locked wooden door. 

The pen greeted us. 

She turned with a tiny smile. 

"These are fast. Ride them across the desert, then, at the deserts end, give them to Udo. He'll take them and you can continue your journey."

Kairi glanced up at the sun. "What _are_ they called?" 

Val's smile grew a fraction. "Desert Chocobos." 


End file.
